Nate At The Movies

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

After seeing Arco at the Cinépolis in Euless yesterday, I guess I could’ve just stayed there overnight, because my next movie started 17 hours later in the auditorium across the hall! No one joined me this time for The Secret Agent, but I am proud to say that, even with little fanfare, I have now seen all of the 2026 Best Picture nominees, a week earlier than I did last year! I might be the only one who cares, but that’s ok. Let’s talk about this movie, because it’s been getting a ton of awards buzz.

I think that most of what The Secret Agent was trying to do worked because of the effort that was put in to bring 1970s Brazil to life. Aesthetically, The Secret Agent crafted a world that stacks up with the best of the Best Picture nominees, completely lived-in and vibrant and tense. The setting raised the stakes and made every moment not only feel important, but real. I also thought the framing device of the students transcribing the recordings was very creative, and I like how it tied into the ending. I can’t honestly say that I was gripped or on track with the story the whole time, but the world the movie brought to the viewer into was impressive.

I’ll get my two complaints out of the way quickly, because there was way more positive than negative going on in this movie, but these two negatives did dampen the film for me. First, this movie was way too long and “glacially” paced, as Schaffrillas put it. It may have been that glacial pace that resulted in my second complaint—unless they fully explained the situation and all of the moving pieces in the one minute that I went to the bathroom, the movie left a little too much about the plot hidden. I felt confused about Marcelo’s origins and the relationships between the police and the hitmen for much of the movie. The killings at the end didn’t clear much up, unfortunately, so even with so much going right in the narrative and aesthetics, I couldn’t fully enjoy it because of how confused I was.

Despite my own comprehension shortcomings, I enjoyed so many other aspects of this movie. Wagner Moura was amazing in his just barely dual role, and the supporting cast had their moments of being equally strong as well. As previously mentioned, I loved the aesthetics and vibes of the movie, and the direction kept the story engaging, even if I didn’t understand it all (maybe my constant focus on the subtitles could be to blame as well). The score was pretty creative, too, with its reliance on unconventional instruments like the flute in tense and dramatic moments.

I feel bad to have come out of The Secret Agent so mixed in my opinions, given how many glowing things I have to say about it. Morgan has made a very relevant point to me in the past, though: “If I have to watch videos about the movie after it’s over to understand it, it didn’t do its job”. That point is valid and applicable here; on a rewatch, The Secret Agent could absolutely wow me because I’ll know more coming in, but at least for Viewing #1, this film will regrettably sit as my least favorite Best Picture nominee, albeit in a year with 10 great nominees. It’s odd to like so much of what a film’s doing and still feel bad about what I’m writing in my review. The life of a critic.