"An imposing masterpiece steeped in history and a palpable adoration for cinema, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent stands as the director’s most ambitiously monumental effort in a career with no missteps thus far."—Carlos Aguilar, The Playlist
"A major achievement, and for my money, sure to be one of the best films of the year."—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
"You won’t see a better political thriller this year than Filho’s ultra-chic genre entry."—Tomris Laffly, Elle
A Blue Carpet Dash Film
Amid the raucous revelry of Carnival week, a widower named Marcelo (Wagner Moura) arrives in Recife, Brazil, a city as vibrant as it is violent. A technology researcher who suddenly finds himself an unwitting target in the heart of the dictatorship's political maelstrom, Marcelo is a man on the run from mercenary killers, from ghosts of the past and from the ruthless, mischievously militant spirit of Brazil in 1977. In the midst of these mounting threats, Marcelo, with the help of a mysterious woman named Elza and her compatriots in the country's growing underground resistance, remains primarily focused on escaping Brazil with his young son.
Master filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho (Pictures of Ghosts) teams up with renowned actor Wagner Moura (Elite Squad)—giving an extraordinary, career-defining performance—to craft a thrillingly unpredictable, playfully shape-shifting epic steeped in history even as it feels remarkably contemporary, paying affectionate tribute to the movies of Filho’s youth while unfolding against the backdrop of political turmoil and palpable danger.