They want a sixth straight Palme d’Or.
NEON has acquired North American rights to Kleber Mendonça Filho’s latest, “The Secret Agent,” one of the more talked-about titles in this year’s Cannes Competition lineup. A theatrical release is planned for later in the year.
Set in Recife during the political unrest of 1977, the film follows Marcelo (Wagner Moura), a tech specialist on the run, who returns to his hometown during carnival week in hopes of reconnecting with his son. What he finds instead is a city caught in its own violence and paranoia. Maria Fernanda Cândido, Gabriel Leon, Carlos Francisco, Alice Carvalho, and Hermila Guedes co-star.
The film premiered on May 18 and has received strong early notices, and is no doubt one of the few Palme d’Or contenders to have emerged out of this year’s fest. If it does win, it would mark NEON’s sixth Palme in a row, extending a streak that includes “Anora,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “Titane,” and “Parasite.” Two of those went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars.
Filho, who last competed at Cannes with 2019’s “Bacurau” (winner of the Jury Prize), is a familiar face on the Croisette. His 2016 film “Aquarius” also screened in competition, and his documentary “Pictures of Ghosts” premiered in Special Screenings last year.
NEON’s Cannes slate for 2025 competition already had two titles, Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” and Julia Ducournau’s “Alpha,” the former is screening tonight and the latter was trounced by critics.