‘The Secret Agent’ Emerges as Brazil’s Formidable Oscar Contender
LOS ANGELES, January 22, 2026 – Following its triumphant premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian epic The Secret Agent has solidified its status as a major force in this year’s awards race. The film, which recently won top honors at the Golden Globes, is now shortlisted for multiple Academy Awards, continuing a powerful streak for Brazilian cinema.
A Carnival of Tension and Memory
Set in 1977 against the vibrant, chaotic backdrop of Recife’s Carnival, The Secret Secret Agent follows Marcelo (Wagner Moura), a widowed professor and technology researcher who becomes a target of Brazil’s military dictatorship. Forced to flee, he returns to his hometown in a desperate attempt to reunite with his young son and escape the country. The film is not a conventional spy thriller but a layered, 158-minute exploration of memory, political oppression, and the fragile construction of history, intercut with a present-day narrative of two women piecing together the past from audio tapes.
Key Facts & Awards Haul
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Director | Kleber Mendonça Filho |
| Star | Wagner Moura |
| Setting | Recife, Brazil, 1977 |
| Runtime | 2 hours, 38 minutes |
| Budget | Approximately $5 million |
| 2025 Cannes Wins | Best Actor (Moura), Best Director, FIPRESCI Prize |
| 2026 Golden Globe Wins | Best Actor – Drama (Moura), Best Non-English Language Film |
| Academy Award Shortlists | Best International Feature Film, Best Casting |
| Other Major Noms | 10 International Cinephile Society (ICS) nominations |
Critical Acclaim and Ambitious Vision
Critics have hailed the film as Mendonça Filho’s most mature and ambitious work, a “masterful look at the human cost of fascism” that blends political thriller elements with absurdist humor and surreal detours. The director, known for Bacurau and Aquarius, grounds the story in the specific social inequalities and corruption of the era, using a sprawling ensemble cast that includes the late Udo Kier in his final role. The film has been praised for its “cinematically dazzling” period detail and its urgent meditation on whose voices are remembered by history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ‘The Secret Agent’ based on the Joseph Conrad novel?
No. While sharing a title with Conrad’s 1907 novel, this The Secret Agent is an original work by Kleber Mendonça Filho, set during Brazil’s military dictatorship. The connection is in name only.
What is the film’s connection to last year’s Oscar winner ‘I’m Still Here’?
Both are acclaimed Brazilian films examining the nation’s authoritarian past. I’m Still Here won the Oscar for Best International Feature in 2025. The Secret Agent is seen as a successor, continuing the country’s cinematic reckoning with history but through a more expansive, genre-blending lens.
When is ‘The Secret Agent’ released in the United States?
The film began its U.S. theatrical rollout in early January 2026 and is currently playing in select theaters, with a wider release expected following its Oscar nominations announcement.