Continuing my countdown of last year’s best films…

Best Films of 2025
#4. The Secret Agent

As far as I know, I’ve seen exactly three Brazilian films and every one of them knocked me on my ass. The first was 2002’s City of God, a movie I count among my favorites of its decade. The second was 2024’s I’m Still Here, which made it to #4 on that year’s top ten list. And the third is The Secret Agent, which coincidentally landed in the same spot this year.

That’s obviously a very small sample from which to make any generalizations, but all three films capture a cultural richness and vibrancy that’s enveloping. They all run over two hours but I’d happily spend two hours more basking in the rhythms, the music, and the visuals of each.

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