A host of high-profile films are gearing up for theatrical release in 2025. The lineup features Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, the sci-fi actioner Predator: Badlands, Glen Powell’s The Running Man, Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025), and James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, among others.
Yet, amid these big-ticket titles, a few under-the-radar films truly deserve your attention. One such gem is the upcoming political thriller The Secret Agent, slated for a theatrical release in North America on November 26, 2025. Here are three reasons why this one deserves a spot on your watchlist.
1. Lead Actor – Wagner Moura
Wagner Moura, the name might ring a bell for fans of Netflix’s widely acclaimed crime drama Narcos, where he portrayed the infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. A Golden Globe–nominated actor with a powerful screen presence, his performance in The Secret Agent has already earned him the Best Actor Award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, proving once again why he’s among the finest actors of his generation.
“Wagner Moura gives one of the best performances of the year.”
THE SECRET AGENT, starring Wagner Moura, opens select theaters 11.26. pic.twitter.com/II5gUm8F29
— NEON (@neonrated) October 16, 2025
2. Award-Winning Brazilian Director
The Secret Agent is helmed by the immensely talented movie critic-turned-filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho. The award-winning Brazilian director is well known for his critically acclaimed films such as Neighboring Sounds (2012), Aquarius (2016), and Bacurau (2019). With The Secret Agent, he has once again impressed critics worldwide, earning the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Secret Agent (2025)
dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho
cinematography by Evgenia Alexandrova pic.twitter.com/imFk5kPtyo— gigi ☘️🌸 (@ptriiichor) October 19, 2025
3. Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes Score
The Secret Agent currently boasts a stellar 98% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s critics’ consensus reads, “A thematically rich and visually arresting political thriller, The Secret Agent blends grindhouse stylization with biting social commentary to weave a vividly dangerous yet darkly human tale.” With such an exceptionally high rating, The Secret Agent has “must-watch” stamped all over it.
THE SECRET AGENT is a masterclass. Kleber Mendonça Filho as writer and director delivers tension, poetry and vision. Wagner Moura… what an actor; a complete artist leading a gifted cast on a journey beyond himself. Awards aren’t everything, but he’s unbeaten. pic.twitter.com/SyOnlxTypS
— 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙤 (@flaviomoraexzs) October 8, 2025
What Is The Secret Agent About?
Set against the backdrop of Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1977, the film revolves around a widowed academic, Marcelo (played by Wagner Moura), who is forced to go on the run after he publicly opposes a corrupt government officer. The fugitive arrives in his hometown, Recife, during carnival week using a fake identity, hoping to reunite with his son to flee the country.
The Secret Agent – Official Trailer
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