The Secret Agent

The Secret Agent | 2025 | 15 | Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho | Brazil | IMDb 7.2 | Subtitled | 161 mins

The Secret Agent reflects the maturity of Brazilian cinema and the strength of a generation of filmmakers who have changed the way the country is viewed on the international stage. The success of Walter Salles's I'm Still Here, which reignited Brazil's presence at the Oscars and we screened last year, means this new film is surrounded by expectations, comparisons, and challenges. And perhaps that is precisely why The Secret Agent is not a film that will please everyone.

The Secret Agent delivers a visually rich and ambitious political thriller set in Brazil during the late 1970s under a repressive military dictatorship. The film immerses you in its atmospheric period world, with a compelling central performance and a story that blends political tension, personal stakes, and moments of surreal intensity.

The film tells an intense, heavy story set during a period of Brazilian history rich enough to spawn countless narratives. And despite its long runtime, it's always magnetic and gripping thanks to its incredible direction, cinematography, and, above everything else, the performances.

Some may be frustrated by the slow pace, the prolonged silences, the casual violence or the open ending. But it is precisely in these details that the beauty of The Secret Agent lies. Mendonça does not want to shock; he does not want to give everything away on a silver platter. He wants to provoke reflection; he wants the viewer to leave still processing what they saw - and what they felt. The discomfort the film causes is not necessarily a flaw; it was probably his intention.

The film is bold, with quirky fascinating characters, and yet aware of its importance. A film about memory, resistance, and belonging. A portrait of a man trying to escape himself, and of a country trying to forget what cannot be forgotten. With precise direction, an engaging script, and remarkable performances, O Agente Secreto is undoubtedly one of the great milestones of recent Brazilian cinema.

·       Screen 1

·       Doors open 6.45pm (or when Odeon staff permit entry)

·       Welcome from our chair Paula Stott @ 7.15pm

·       Free parking after 6pm if you DISPLAY an orange parking voucher, available from Odeon staff

·       Unreserved seating

·       We invite every viewer to score the film afterwards using a token system in the lobby