The Secret Agent Trailer & Fun Facts
The Secret Agent Synopsis:
Set in Brazil in 1977 during the military dictatorship. Marcelo (Wagner Moura), a former professor who is targeted for assassination after standing up to a corrupt official. Fleeing to Recife, he takes on an alias, seeks to reunite with his young son, and joins an underground resistance. As he desperately works to secure passports to escape, Marcelo finds himself hunted by killers and corrupt police, making his flight a tense, paranoid struggle for survival against the regime's pervasive evil.
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Release Date: In theaters November 26th, 2025
The Secret Agent Fun Facts:
Star Power:
Wagner Moura takes on the lead character, and he is well-known internationally for his Emmy-nominated performance as Pablo Escobar in the series Narcos on Netflix. This movie is his first project in Portuguese in nearly eight years.
Most Awarded Film:
Prior to its release in the United States, the film debuted globally at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received the most awards of any film at the event. It won the Best Actor award for Wagner Moura and the Best Director award for Kleber Mendonça Filho, in addition to several other prestigious critics' awards.
Filmed in 1970s Style:
To capture the 1977 backdrop in Brazil, the film was shot using Panavision anamorphic lenses and vintage camera equipment to replicate the visual style and atmosphere of 1970s political thrillers.
Carnival Chaos:
A large part of the movie takes place during the lively and vibrant week of Carnival in Recife, Brazil, which introduces a sense of colorful and fleeting chaos against a backdrop of political unrest.
Home-Turf Hero:
The movie was shot entirely in the director's hometown of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, featuring historical structures and colonial bridges, which firmly anchors the story in the regional culture and architecture.
Multiple Timelines:
The story is intentionally broken up, featuring key events from 1977 alongside moments of flash-forwards to the present day, where young researchers are listening to and transcribing recordings from that era. This arrangement highlights how our views on history and memories can change over time.