The Secret Agent (Portuguese: O Agente Secreto; Brazilian Portuguese: [u aˈʒẽt͡ʃi seˈkɾɛtu]) is a 2025 neo-noir historical political thriller film written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho. It follows Armando (Wagner Moura), a former professor caught in the political turmoil in the midst of the Brazilian military dictatorship, attempting to flee persecution and resist an authoritarian regime. The supporting cast includes Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Gabriel Leone, Alice Carvalho, Hermila Guedes, Isabél Zuaa, and Udo Kier in his final film role.
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May, where it received widespread acclaim and became the festival's most awarded film, winning the Best Actor award for Moura, the Best Director award for Mendonça Filho,[3] the Art House Cinema Award and the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film.[4][5] At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it became the first Brazilian film nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama, winning Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (Wagner Moura) and Best Foreign Language Film. It was selected as Brazil's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, making the shortlist.[6][7]
It was theatrically released in Brazil and Germany on 6 November 2025 by Vitrine Filmes and Port au Prince Films, respectively, and was released in France on 17 December by Ad Vitam.
Plot
In 1977, during the political turmoil of the Brazilian military dictatorship, former professor and widower Armando Solimões travels to Recife during the carnival holiday, where his young son Fernando has been living with his in-laws since the passing of his wife, Fátima Nascimento. He arrives at a refuge operated by a former anarco-communist Dona Sebastiana, where he befriends other political dissidents including Claudia, Haroldo and Angolan Civil War refugees Thereza Vitória and Antonio. Meanwhile, corrupt Civil Police chief Euclides and his sons Sergio and Arlindo are called in during the holiday to investigate a severed human leg that has been found inside a captured tiger shark.
Armando is placed in work by his dissident network at the city's identity card office under the alias of Marcelo, where he has a chance encounter with Euclides, who offers him his friendship and protection. Euclides's arrogant behavior visibly annoys Armando, which includes harassing Hans, a Jewish Holocaust survivor who is mistakenly assumed to be a Nazi fugitive. Armando's job also affords him the opportunity of searching for files on his late mother "India", of whom he has few memories. Meanwhile, in São Paulo, hitmen Bobbi and Augusto are hired by Henrique Ghirotti, a former Eletrobras executive director, to kill Armando, with whom he has a political and personal vendetta. Sergio and Arlindo dispose of the human leg in the Capibaribe River, where it suddenly revives and attacks gay men cruising in a public park at night; the story, presumably a newspaper cover-up for the political corruption and violence during the carnival week, creates a public frenzy.
Armando meets Elza, the leader of a political resistance movement in the Brazilian northeast, at the Cinema São Luiz, where his father-in-law Sr. Alexandre works as a projectionist. Recording a testimony about Ghirotti's corrupt activities, Armando recounts a dinner he attended with Fátima that ended in a physical altercation with Ghirotti and his son, following remarks on the couple lower socioeconomic class and supposed communist sympathies. Elza informs Armando that a contract killing has been ordered and instructs him to flee the country. Augusto and Bobbi hire a local impoverished gunman, Vilmar, to find Armando. Anticipating a departure, Armando bids farewell to Dona Sebastiana and the other refugees.
The following day, Armando's cover is blown after Bobbi surveil Sr. Alexandre. Vilmar identifies Armando but fails to kill him, shooting Arlindo and a fellow police officer. Bobbi, watching from afar, chases a bleeding Vilmar through Recife's downtown and is later killed in a barbershop by Vilmar.
In the present day, history student Flavia researches Elza's resistance network through her audio recordings and newspaper archives, learning that Armando was murdered and framed as a corrupt professor. Traveling to Recife, Flavia meets with Fernando, now a middle-aged doctor, who agrees to be interviewed in the hospital where he works after Flavia donates blood. The pair discuss the identity of Armando's mother, his political past and his subsequent assassination. Fernando states he does not have a single memory of his father, but fondly recalls watching Jaws with his grandfather at a movie theater which has since become the hospital where he works.
Cast
- Wagner Moura as Armando Solimões / Marcelo Alves and Fernando Solimões (adult)[8]
- Enzo Nunes as Fernando Solimões (young)
- Carlos Francisco as Sr. Alexandre
- Tânia Maria as Dona Sebastiana
- Robério Diógenes as Euclides
- Maria Fernanda Cândido as Elza
- Gabriel Leone as Bobbi Borba
- Roney Villela as Augusto Borba
- Kaiony Venâncio as Vilmar
- Alice Carvalho as Fátima Nascimento
- Hermila Guedes as Claudia
- Isabél Zuaa as Thereza Vitória
- Licínio Januário as Antonio
- Laura Lufési as Flavia
- Thomás Aquino as Valdemar
- Italo Martins as Arlindo
- Igor de Araújo as Sergio
- Udo Kier as Hans
- João Vitor Silva as Haroldo
- Robson Andrade as Clóvis
- Geane Albuquerque as Elisângela
- Aline Marta Maia as Lenira Nascimento
- Luciano Chirolli as Henrique Castro Ghirotti
- Gregorio Graziosi as Salvatore Ghirotti
- Isadora Ruppert as Daniela
- Buda Lira as Anísio
- Suzy Lopes as Carmem
- Marcelo Valle as João Pedro
Production
Development
Kleber Mendonça Filho wrote the script over three years, partially overlapping with the production of Pictures of Ghosts.[9][10] It was co-produced by companies from Brazil (CinemaScópio, Itapoan and Vitrine Filmes), France (MK2 Films and Arte France Cinéma), Germany (One Two Films) and the Netherlands (Lemming Film).[11] The film also received subsidies from the Brazilian Fundo Setorial do Audiovisual/Ancine,[12] the French Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC),[13] the Dutch Netherlands Film Fund,[14] and the Germans Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and German Federal Film Fund.[15]
The film is a neo-noir historical political thriller,[16] heavily inspired by Robert Altman, Brian De Palma, Sam Peckinpah, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg productions of the 1970's.[17][18] In a January 2026 Film at Lincoln Center event, Mendonça Filho curated some films that influenced The Secret Agent, including: John Boorman's Point Blank (1967), Karel Kachyňa's The Ear (1970), Elio Petri's Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970), Jorge Bodanzky and Orlando Senna's Iracema (1974), Héctor Babenco's Lúcio Flávio (1977), Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and Eduardo Coutinho's Twenty Years Later (1984).[19]
The Secret Agent's main motifs also echo Spielberg's Jaws (1975), particularly in that Recife is a coastal city plagued by tiger shark attacks.[20] While some scenes take place during a screening of Richard Donner's The Omen (1976) at the Cinema São Luiz.
All the aspects of "the hairy leg" story are based on real newspaper reports from the 1970s, specially from Diário de Pernambuco, that created a public frenzy in Recife. The story allowed the press to conveniently cover-up censored news about police violence, corruption and homophobia.[21]
The production marks Wagner Moura's first Portuguese language production in eight years.[22][23] It was Udo Kier's final film role before his death in late 2025,[24] in his second collaboration with Mendonça Filho following Bacurau (2019).
Filming
Principal photography took place during ten weeks in 2024, shooting on location in Recife, Pernambuco. Many of the films scenes were shot in historical city's buildings, such as the Cinema São Luiz (one of the last art house cinemas in Brazil) and on most of Recife's colonial bridges.[25] For the haired leg chase scenes, shooting took place in location at the Capibaribe River, featuring its usual capybara inhabitants, and at "May 13th Park" (Parque 13 de Maio). Carnival scenes were reenacted near the Aurora Street (Rua da Aurora), where Recife's main carnival association parade take place. Scenes featuring the captured tiger shark and Armando teaching past were shot at the Federal University of Pernambuco campus, a state owned university.[25]
Additional scenes were shot in São Paulo, featuring Euclides and Bobbi characters. Principal photography wrapped by late August 2024.[26][27] Pick-up scenes were shot in Brasilia in December 2024.[citation needed]
Mendonça Filho and his long-time partner Emilie Lesclaux produced the film through their film company CinemaScópio. The film also marks Russian-French cinematographer Evgenia Alexandrova's first collaboration with the filmmaker,[28] who shot the film with Panavision anamorphic lenses and vintage camera equipment, aiming to replicate the visual style of the 1970s movies.[29]
Post-production
The film entered post-production in September 2024, shortly after the 81st Venice International Film Festival where Mendonça Filho was a jury member for the main competition. As usual for the director's films, it features many MPB songs alongside its original score by Mateus Alves and Tomaz Alves Souza.[30]
Release
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May,[31] receiving a 13-minute long standing ovation,[32] and was the most awarded film in the festival.[33] It competed for the Palme d'Or,[34] winning the Best Actor prize for Wagner Moura (the first Brazilian actor to win it) and the Best Director prize for Mendonça Filho (the second Brazilian filmmaker to win it after Glauber Rocha in 1969).[5][3] A few days after its premiere, Neon acquired North American distribution rights to the film, while Mubi acquired the rights for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hispanic America, and India.[35][36]
The Secret Agent had its North American premiere at the Main Program of the 52nd Telluride Film Festival.[37] At the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival it received a gala screening the Special Presentations section.[29] It was also screened at the Main Slate at the 2025 New York Film Festival.[38] In October, it was screened in the "Best of 2025" section of the 20th Rome Film Festival[39] and at the Adelaide Film Festival.[40]
The film's Brazilian premiere took place on 10 September 2025 at the Cinema São Luiz.[41]
It received a wide theatrical release in Brazil and Germany on 6 November 2025. Neon released the film in North American theaters on 26 November.[42] It received a theatrical release on 17 December by Ad Vitam in France.
Reception
Box office
On its opening weekend in Brazil, The Secret Agent had 273,000 admissions, grossing R$6.6 million at the box office, topping Predator: Badlands debut weekend (R$5.7 million) and Black Phone 2 fourth weekend (R$1.8 million).[43][44] By the end of its first full week, alongside September and October previews, the film had surpassed 500,000 admissions and R$10 million at the box office.[45][46] By January 2026, The Secret Agent had more than 1.5 million admissions in Brazil, grossing R$31 million ($5.8 million) and surpassing Bacurau as Mendonça's highest grossing film.[47]
In its limited release weekend in the United States, The Secret Agent grossed $71k on the 5-day opening thanksgiving holiday, with an average $23k per theatre, beating I'm Still Here’s previous record for Brazilian productions opening weekend in the U.S.[48] By 19 January 2026, the film had grossed $2.5 million in its limited 136 theaters run at the U.S. box office.[49]
On its opening weekend in France, The Secret Agent had more than 100,000 admissions, grossing $726k over 186 theatres. By 11 January 2026 the film had grossed $2.5 million at the French box office, bringing its international box office total to $5.7 million.[49]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 99% of 155 critics' reviews are positive. The website's 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."[50] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 92 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[51]
Steve Pond of TheWrap pointed out that "cohesiveness or coherence are not high on [the film's] list of attributes", "but [the film's] messiness is part of its charm".[52] David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a 'B+' score, concluding that "always compelling, but sometimes more sedate than its material demands — [it] is often at its most alive during its detours".[53]
Other critics praised the film for its ambition, visual style, and emotional depth. Shannon Connellan of Mashable called it “a complex, time-jumping political crime thriller” and wrote that its “compelling script, impeccable acting, and striking 1970s aesthetic” make it “impossible to look away.” [54] Pavel Snapkou of Showbiz by PS described the film as “a bright and memorable” neo-noir political thriller, praising its “vivid, vibrant scenes” and calling Moura “electrifyingly good,” delivering “one of the best male performances of the year.” [55] Carlos Aguilar of The Playlist hailed the film as “an imposing masterpiece steeped in history and a palpable adoration for cinema.” [56]
Oscar submission process
Despite Mendonça Filho having been passed over twice by the Brazilian submission commission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film,[57] for two critically acclaimed productions, Aquarius in 2016 (due to the political boycott of the Temer administration)[58] and Bacurau in 2019 (during the Bolsonaro administration), The Secret Agent was expected to be the country's safe choice after its successful run in the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and the ongoing Neon strong awards season campaign.[59][60]
By August, the film was shortlisted alongside other five Brazilian feature films. Shortly after, reports emerged suggesting a possible snub in favor of Manas (2024), which was supported by a lobby of 70 high-profile companies for its supposed "urgent subject in Brazil". The movement created a public uproar driven by the perception of abuse of political and personal power in the Brazilian Oscar submission process, instead of artistic merit and commercial logic.[61][62][63]
Following the negative response to the Manas campaign from critics and the Brazilian film industry, which included a four-minute long video by Fernanda Torres supporting selection of the The Secret Agent, the latter was ultimately chosen as the country's official submission on 15 September.[64][65][66]
Accolades
At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, The Secret Agent was the festival's most awarded film, winning the Best Actor award for Moura, the Best Director award for Mendonça Filho, the Art House Cinema Award and the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film.
At the 2025 New York Film Critics Circle Awards, it was also the most awarded film (alongside One Battle After Another), winning Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor (Wagner Moura). At the 2025 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, it won Best Foreign Language Film and was the runner-up for Best Picture and Best Lead Performance. At the 31st Critics' Choice Awards, it won Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for Best Actor. At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it became the first Brazilian production nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and Moura the first Brazilian to win for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, while the film also won for Best Foreign Language Film.
Furthermore, The Secret Agent was named the best film of the year on The Hollywood Reporter’s top 10 Best Films of 2025, placed fourth on Cahiers du Cinéma top 10 films of 2025,[67] sixth on BBC’s 25 Best Films of 2025,[68] eighth on The New York Times’ Best Movies of 2025,[69] one of the Top 5 International Films of the year by the National Board of Review, and also appeared on former President of the United States Barack Obama's annual list of his favorite films of the year.[70]
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 24 May 2025 | Palme d'Or | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Nominated | [71] |
| FIPRESCI Prize | Won | [72] | |||
| Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai | Won | [73] | |||
| Best Director | Won | [71] | |||
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Won | |||
| Sydney Film Festival | 15 June 2025 | Sydney Film Prize | The Secret Agent | Nominated | [74] |
| Jerusalem Film Festival | 25 July 2025 | Best International Film Award | Won | [75] | |
| Miskolc International Film Festival | 13 September 2025 | Emeric Pressburger Prize | Nominated | [76] | |
| Lima Film Festival | 16 September 2025 | Trophy Spondylus | Won | [77] | |
| International Critics' Jury Award for Best Film | Won | ||||
| Latin American Fiction Competition - Honorable Mention | Won | ||||
| Biarritz International Festival of Latin American Cinema | 18 September 2025 | Abrazo d'honneur | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Won | [78] |
| International Federation of Film Critics | 21 September 2025 | Grand Prix for Best Film of the Year | The Secret Agent | Nominated | [79] |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 24 September 2025 | City of Donostia (San Sebastian Audience Award) |
Nominated | [80][81] | |
| Zurich Film Festival | 26 September 2025 | Golden Eye Award for achievement in acting | Wagner Moura | Won | [82] |
| Film Festival Cologne | 6 October 2025 | The Hollywood Reporter Award for Best of Cinema Fiction | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Won | [83] |
| Hamburg International Film Festival | 8 October 2025 | Hamburg Producers Award | The Secret Agent | Nominated | [84] |
| Arthouse Cinema Award | Won | [85] | |||
| Middleburg Film Festival | 19 October 2025 | International Spotlight Award | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Won | [86] |
| Critics Choice Awards Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television | 24 October 2025 | Director Award | Won | [87] | |
| Chicago International Film Festival | 24 October 2025 | Gold Hugo | The Secret Agent | Nominated | [88] |
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Won | [89] | ||
| Virginia Film Festival | 26 October 2025 | Craft Award for Achievement in Cinematography | Evgenia Alexandrova | Won | [90] |
| Gáldar International Film Festival | 27 October 2025 | Best Feature Film | The Secret Agent | Won | [91] |
| Newport Beach Film Festival | 6 November 2025 | Outstanding Performance | Wagner Moura | Won | [92] |
| Stockholm International Film Festival | 14 November 2025 | Bronze Horse | The Secret Agent | Nominated | [93] |
| Best Cinematography | Evgenia Alexandrova | Won | |||
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | 1 December 2025 | Best Original Screenplay | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Nominated | [94] |
| Outstanding Lead Performance | Wagner Moura | Nominated | |||
| New York Film Critics Circle | 2 December 2025 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Secret Agent | Won | [95] |
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Won | |||
| Atlanta Film Critics Circle | 3 December 2025 | Top 10 Films | The Secret Agent | Won | [96] |
| National Board of Review | 3 December 2025 | Top 5 International Films | Won | [97] | |
| IndieWire Honors | 4 December 2025 | Performance Award | Wagner Moura | Won | [98] |
| Washington DC Area Film Critics Association | 7 December 2025 | Foreign Language Film | The Secret Agent | Nominated | [99] |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | 7 December 2025 | Best Picture | Runner-up | [100] | |
| Best Lead Performance | Wagner Moura | Runner-up | |||
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Secret Agent | Won | |||
| Toronto Film Critics Awards | 7 December 2025 | Best Foreign Language Film | Runner-up | [101] | |
| Outstanding Lead Performance | Wagner Moura | Runner-up | |||
| Chicago Film Critics Association | 11 December 2025 | Best Actor | Nominated | [102] | |
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| Havana Film Festival | 12 December 2025 | Best Film | Nominated | [103] | |
| Best Director | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Won | ||||
| Best Production Design | Thales Junqueira | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Eduardo Serrano and Matheus Farias | Won | |||
| Best Original Score | Tomaz Alves Souza and Mateus Alves | Won | |||
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | 14 December 2025 | Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Nominated | [104] |
| Best International Feature Film | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards | 14 December 2025 | Best Film | Nominated | [105] | |
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Nominated | |||
| Best International Feature Film | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| IndieWire Critics Poll | 15 December 2025 | Best Film | 5th place | [106] | |
| Best Director | Kleber Mendonça Filho | 3rd place | |||
| Best Performance | Wagner Moura | 3rd place | |||
| Best Screenplay | Kleber Mendonça Filho | 5th place | |||
| Best Cinematography | Evgenia Alexandrova | 6th place | |||
| Best International Film | The Secret Agent | 3rd place | |||
| Southeastern Film Critics Association | 15 December 2025 | Top 10 Films of 2025 | 10th place | [107] | |
| New York Film Critics Online | 15 December 2025 | Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Nominated | [108] |
| Best International Feature | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| San Diego Film Critics Society | 15 December 2025 | Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Nominated | [109] |
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | 15 December 2025 | Best International Feature | Nominated | [110] | |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | 17 December 2025 | Best Foreign Language Film | 3rd place | [111] | |
| Austin Film Critics Association | 18 December 2025 | Best Film | 6th place | [112] | |
| Best International Film | Won | ||||
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Nominated | |||
| Florida Film Critics Circle | 19 December 2025 | Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Nominated | [113] |
| Best Ensemble | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Thales Junqueira | Nominated | |||
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| Online Association of Female Film Critics | 19 December 2025 | Best Male Lead | Wagner Moura | Nominated | [114] |
| Best International Feature | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| Boston Online Film Critics Association | 19 December 2025 | Best Film | 9th place | [115] | |
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Won | |||
| Black Film Critics Circle | 20 December 2025 | Top Ten Films of 2025 | The Secret Agent | 7th place | [116] |
| Pandora International Film Critics Awards | 21 December 2025 | Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Won | [117] |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 31 December 2025 | Best Film | The Secret Agent | Nominated | [118] |
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Nominated | |||
| Best International Feature | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| New Jersey Film Critics Circle | 31 December 2025 | Best Picture | Nominated | [119] | |
| Best International Feature | Nominated | ||||
| Puerto Rico Critics Association | 2 January 2026 | Best Picture | Nominated | [120] | |
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Runner-up | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Nominated | |||
| Best International Feature | The Secret Agent | Runner-up | |||
| Best Film Editing | Eduardo Serrano and Matheus Farias | Nominated | |||
| National Society of Film Critics | 3 January 2026 | Best Picture | The Secret Agent | 3rd place | [121] |
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Runner-up | |||
| Best Screenplay | Kleber Mendonça Filho | 3rd place | |||
| Best Film Not in the English Languange | The Secret Agent | Won | |||
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 4 January 2026 | Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Nominated | [122] |
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Secret Agent | Won | |||
| Columbus Film Critics Association | 8 January 2026 | Best Lead Performance | Wagner Moura | Nominated | [123] |
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| The Astra Awards | 9 January 2026 | Best Actor – Drama | Wagner Moura | Nominated | [124] |
| Best International Feature | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| Acting Achievement Award | Wagner Moura | Honored | |||
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | 10 January 2026 | Best Foreign-Language Film | The Secret Agent | Nominated | [125] |
| Golden Globe Awards | 11 January 2026 | Best Motion Picture – Drama | The Secret Agent | Nominated | [126] |
| Best Foreign Language Film | Won | ||||
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Wagner Moura | Won | |||
| Hawaii Film Critics Society | 12 January 2026 | Best Actor | Nominated | [127] | |
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| Lumière Awards | 18 January 2026 | Best International Co-Production | Won | [128] | |
| Houston Film Critics Society | 20 January 2026 | Best Picture | Nominated | [129] | |
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Nominated | |||
| Best Foreign Language Feature | The Secret Agent | Nominated | |||
| Online Film Critics Society | 26 January 2026 | Best Picture | Pending | [130] | |
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Pending | |||
| Best Film Not in the English Language | The Secret Agent | Pending | |||
| London Film Critics Circle | 1 February 2026 | Foreign Language Film of the Year | Pending | [131] | |
| Actor of the Year | Wagner Moura | Pending | |||
| International Cinephile Society | 8 February 2026 | Best Picture | The Secret Agent | Pending | [132] |
| Best Director | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Pending | |||
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Pending | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Tânia Maria | Pending | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Pending | |||
| Best Ensemble | The Secret Agent | Pending | |||
| Best Cinematography | Evgenia Alexandrova | Pending | |||
| Best Editing | Matheus Farias and Eduardo Serrano | Pending | |||
| Best Production Design | Thales Junqueira | Pending | |||
| Best Sound Design | Tijn Hazen | Pending | |||
| Paris Film Critics Awards | 8 February 2026 | Best Picture | The Secret Agent | Pending | [133] |
| Best Director | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Pending | |||
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Pending | |||
| Latino Entertainment Journalists Association | 9 February 2026 | Best Picture | The Secret Agent | Pending | [134] |
| Best Director | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Pending | |||
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Pending | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Tânia Maria | Pending | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Pending | |||
| Best Ensemble Casting | Gabriel Domingues | Pending | |||
| Best Cinematography | Evgenia Alexandrova | Pending | |||
| Best Editing | Matheus Farias and Eduardo Serrano | Pending} | |||
| Best Production Design | Thales Junqueira | Pending | |||
| Best Costume Design | Rita Azevedo | Pending | |||
| Best Non-English Language | The Secret Agent | Pending | |||
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | 8 February 2026 | Virtuoso Award | Wagner Moura | Honored | [135] |
| Film Independent Spirit Awards | 15 February 2026 | Best International Feature Film | The Secret Agent | Pending | [136] |
| Online Film & Television Association | 15 February 2026 | Best Picture | Pending | [137] | |
| Best Actor | Wagner Moura | Pending | |||
| Best Foreign Language Film | The Secret Agent | Pending | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | 28 February 2026 | Outstanding International Motion Picture | Pending | [138] | |
| Dorian Awards | 3 March 2026 | Non-English Language Film of the Year | Pending | [139] | |
| Satellite Awards | 8 March 2026 | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Wagner Moura | Pending | [140] |
| Best Motion Picture – International | The Secret Agent | Pending |
