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Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent Opens to Raves and Awards Buzz

Critics highlight meticulous 1970s Recife world-building that deepens its portrait of life under Brazil’s dictatorship.

Overview

  • The Brazilian political thriller launched a limited theatrical release on Dec. 5 after earning recognition at Cannes.
  • Reviews praise the 158-minute film’s urgency and focus on paranoia and resistance during the late-1970s military regime.
  • Industry coverage points to Wagner Moura as a leading awards contender, with some outlets calling him an Oscar front-runner.
  • Mendonça Filho describes a cinephile-led process rooted in memory, using real Recife sites such as the São Luiz movie theater to anchor key scenes.
  • Casting director Gabriel Domingues built a period-faithful ensemble by mixing stars with first-time performers and avoiding contemporary markers like tattoos and modern skin treatments.