While mass entertainment movies are made to collect commercial revenues, the true value of a critical movie lies in the appreciation it gets for the compelling artwork. On top of that, if a movie manages to bag a nod at the highly esteemed Cannes Film Festival, then there is no bigger recognition. This year, despite fierce contention, one movie made it to the top, getting praise from all quarters: The Secret Agent.
Competing for the Palme d’Or and earning a 13-minute standing ovation at the event, the movie stood out as extraordinary cinema work.
Cast of The Secret Agent
The Secret Agent
is a historical political thriller that is a co-production between Brazil, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, the movie stars Wagner Moura as Marcelo, a teacher caught in the political turmoil of the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship.
Kleber Mendonça Filho’s ‘THE SECRET AGENT’ will premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Starring Wagner Moura, Maria Fernanda Cândido and Gabriel Leone.
Set in 1977 Brazil, it follows Marcelo, a teacher fleeing from his mysterious past in search of some peace. pic.twitter.com/JpZfn2y0Ld
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) April 10, 2025
Other than Wagner Moura, it has a small Brazilian star cast, including Gabriel Leone, known for Verdedas Secretas
and Ferrari
; Maria Fernanda Cândido, and German actor Udo Kier.
Read More: A Kiss, a Comeback, a Cannes Triumph: ‘Sentimental Value’ Earns 19-Minute Ovation
At the ongoing Cannes, the movie won big with two awards: Wagner Moura won the best actor award, and Mendonça won the best director award for the retro-themed movie. The film also won the Fipresci Prize in the Official Selection – Competition category.
The Secret Agent takes you back to the 70s for the perfect historical tale
The Secret Agent
zeroes in on Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, who came back to a small city in order to get closer to his young son after losing his wife to pneumonia in 1977. But he ends up in a political turmoil after finding himself in a town under siege at Carnival time by criminal elements in the country, which is being run by a dictatorship and losing the chance for a better life under the ruling class.
THE SECRET AGENT: a fascinating political thriller about the ghosts of Brazil’s tortured past, with a fabulously evocative depiction of the Recife of the ‘70s, a rich social tapestry and a genre twist. Kleber Mendonça Filho’s magnum opus. I adored it! #Cannes2025 pic.twitter.com/0BDxSAs3se
— FilmLand Empire (@FilmLandEmpire) May 18, 2025
This is filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho’s third successful run at Cannes. Previously, he had debuted the movie Aquarius
in 2016 starring Sonia Braga, and the surreal western Bacurau
in 2019, which again starred Braga and won the Jury Prize in 2019. These movies followed the same theme of people threatened with losing their way of life, being displaced.
When is The Secret Agent coming out?
After the Cannes premiere, Neon acquired North American distribution rights to the film and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is planning a theatrical release later this year, though the exact release date is still a mystery. While MUBI acquired the rights for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America (excluding Brazil), and India, it will come out in Australia on June 11 and in France on January 14, 20
NEON has acquired the rights to Kleber Mendonça Filho’s ‘THE SECRET AGENT’ starring Wagner Moura. pic.twitter.com/XOnvD4BF9l
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 21, 2025
Although The Secret Agent
and its fellow competitor, The Mastermind
,
who were running in the race for the Palme d’Or, lost the race to It Was Just an Accident
, The Secret Agent
has witnessed massive acclaim at the event, and fans are hoping to see it in cinemas soon.
Read More: “It’s Giving ART”: X Is Fangirling as the Neon Booth Oozes Success at Cannes Film Festival 2025
What are
your thoughts on the Cannes acclaimed movie? Share with us in the comments
below.