Shaggy Leg Story – – The Secret Agent (2025, Brazil, Color, 161 min) – – 22 February 2026

Not recommended. Unlike every major film critic in the universe – – including Cannes and Oscar – – I didn’t much care for The Secret Agent. I admire its serious intent. I admire Wagner Moura’s (Elite Squad) naturalistic acting . . . along with many of the supporting cast. And the barbarism of the junta that ran Brazil for twenty years is worth denouncing, especially given the country’s recent flirtation with autocracy. But the film has some pacing problems. The initial two-thirds of the story moves too slowly for a “thriller;” the remaining third is exciting but concludes with a time jump of unclear utility. Thus, the picture never really gels. I place the blame at the feet of Brazilian writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho (Bacurau), and the self-indulgence of the auteur. One of the cast members is a disembodied, putrefying human leg . . . whose origin or symbolism I missed. This is cult figure Udo Kier’s (Suspiria) last film.