Kleber Mendonça Filho
The Secret Agent
Winner of Cannes’ Best Actor & Director prizes, this mischievous political thriller features a human leg in a shark, Mendonça’s trademark ultraviolence, and an unforgettable Udo Kier cameo
In 1970s Brazil, the height of military dictatorship, an ex-professor on the run sneaks in during Carnival to reunite with his boy. Starring Wagner Moura (Narcos, Civil War) in a career-defining role, The Secret Agent romps through Brasília’s political history, jump-starting to life with tropicália music, classic films, and retro design.
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The films of writer-director Kleber Mendonça Filho, including The Secret Agent, have represented Brazil thrice at the Oscars and competed three times for the Cannes Palme d’Or. His third feature Bacurau (2019) won the Cannes Jury Prize.
Equally adept at documentary and fiction filmmaking, Mendonça started in film criticism and programming.
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Cannes Film Festival 2025 (France)
Winner, Best Actor, Best Director, and FIPRESCI International Critics’ Prize -
Genres: Thriller
Featuring: Wagner Moura, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Gabriel Leone
Rating: R21
Duration: 158 min
Language: Brazilian Portuguese (with English subtitles) -
You won’t see a better political thriller this year — Elle
A thrilling original — The Hollywood Reporter
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Visually and dramatically superb in every way — The Guardian
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