🎭The Secret Agent (2025): A Carnival of Shadows, Secrets, and Survival – Plot, Cast, Release Date & Where to Watch

When the samba drums of Recife echo through Carnival in 1977, the streets are alive with masks, colors, and music. But beneath this feverish celebration lurks something darker—political paranoia, dictatorship, and mercenary violence. Enter Marcelo (Wagner Moura), a widower and technology researcher who suddenly finds himself ensnared in a web of surveillance, betrayal, and bloodshed.

Welcome to The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto), Kleber Mendonça Filho’s explosive new historical political thriller. After premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it earned standing ovations and multiple awards—including Best Actor for Wagner Moura and Best Director for Filho—the film is now set to captivate audiences worldwide.

🔎 The Plot: Carnival as a Cover for Chaos

Marcelo arrives in Recife with one goal: to protect and reunite with his son. But as Brazil’s military dictatorship tightens its grip, his quiet journey spirals into a desperate fight for survival.

Haunted by his past and hunted by mercenary assassins, Marcelo finds unlikely allies in Elza (Maria Fernanda Cândido) and her resistance group, who are willing to risk everything against the regime. Together, they navigate a city where joy and fear dance side by side—where every firework could mask a gunshot, and every smiling mask could hide an informant.

As Filho himself described, the film is “a love letter to cinema, but also a reminder of how history never truly stays buried.”

🌟 The Cast: Powerhouse Performances

At the center is Wagner Moura, in what critics have already hailed as a career-defining role. His Marcelo is equal parts vulnerable father, reluctant fighter, and hunted man.

Supporting him is a stellar ensemble:

• Maria Fernanda Cândido as the enigmatic resistance fighter Elza

• Gabriel Leone as Bobbi, a firebrand revolutionary

• Isabél Zuaa as Thereza Vitória, whose sharp intelligence cuts deeper than weapons

• Udo Kier as Hans, a chilling foreign presence who thrives in Brazil’s political chaos

Each character is layered, representing the blurred lines between loyalty, betrayal, and survival in oppressive times.

🎬 Style & Direction: Filho’s Masterstroke

Director Kleber Mendonça Filho (Aquarius, Bacurau) infuses The Secret Agent with a shape-shifting energy. The film moves like Carnival itself—playful, chaotic, colorful, yet always tinged with danger.

Shot by Evgenia Alexandrova, the cinematography drapes Recife in vibrant neon shadows, contrasting the glitter of parades with the grit of dictatorship. The 158-minute runtime is immersive, pulling viewers into a fever dream where politics and personal survival collide.

Critics have compared its style to a mix of Costa-Gavras’ political thrillers and the playful chaos of Latin American magical realism.

🏆 Cannes Triumph

At Cannes 2025, the film received thunderous applause and took home:

• 🏅 Best Actor – Wagner Moura

• 🏅 Best Director – Kleber Mendonça Filho

• 🏅 Art House Cinema Award

• 🏅 FIPRESCI Prize

This critical acclaim cements The Secret Agent as one of Brazil’s most important films of the decade.

📅 Release Dates & Where to Watch

• Brazil Theatrical Release: November 6, 2025 (distributed by Vitrine Filmes)

• France: Late 2025 via Ad Vitam

• International Release (Select Theaters): Starting November 26, 2025

• Streaming: No official streaming release has been announced yet. Given its festival success, it’s expected to reach global streaming platforms (likely Netflix or MUBI) sometime in 2026, though nothing is confirmed.

For now, the only way to experience The Secret Agent is on the big screen—exactly how Filho intended.

🎭 Final Word

With The Secret Agent, Kleber Mendonça Filho transforms Carnival’s glittering chaos into a stage for political intrigue, survival, and resistance. Wagner Moura’s unforgettable performance anchors this cinematic storm, making it not just a film,

but an experience.

As one line in the teaser whispers: “In a city of masks, trust no one.”

When the curtains rise on November 26, 2025, audiences worldwide will step into a dangerous dance of secrets, lies, and revolution.