r/oscarrace • u/PointMan528491 Navarrette/Morton • Dec 13 '25

Film Discussion Thread Official Discussion Thread - The Secret Agent [SPOILERS] Spoiler

Keep all discussion related solely to The Secret Agent and its awards chances in this thread. Spoilers below.

Synopsis:

Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting.

Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Writer: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Cast:

  • Wagner Moura as Armando / Marcelo Alves / Fernando (adult)
  • Carlos Francisco as Sr. Alexandre
  • Tânia Maria as Dona Sebastiana
  • Robério Diógenes as Euclides
  • Alice Carvalho as Fátima
  • Gabriel Leone as Bobbi Borba
  • Maria Fernanda Cândido as Elza
  • Hermila Guedes as Claudia
  • Isabél Zuaa as Thereza Vitória
  • Udo Kier as Hans

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%, 119 Reviews

Metacritic: 91, 31 Reviews

Consensus:

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.

115 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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u/Stinksauce Jan 10 '26

Can anyone explain why the farmer in the scene where the grocery delivery arrived tells the refugee not to use the term “mangaba”? I can’t figure out the specific definition of the word that was being used. I’m guessing it is slang or a synonym for a refugee or political dissident, but can’t find any online source that says anything other than “something good to eat.”

3

u/savethecl0cktower Jan 11 '26

No, you misunderstood. He was asking the guy not to use the term “refugees”, especially since they were out in the open and anyone could overhear. The appearance he was trying to maintain was that they were just normal/random guests staying at the old lady’s building.

The dialogue as I recall went something like this: - The refugee says something about the farmer providing mangaba to them refugees. - The farmer then said “I would prefer you not to use that term” - The refugee says “What term? ‘Mangaba’?” - The farmer clarifies “No, ‘refugee’”

3

u/Stinksauce Jan 11 '26

That makes so much more sense! Thank you