The Brazilian film O Agente Secreto, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, won Best International Film at the 31st Critics Choice Awards on January 4, 2026. Brazil's first win in the category sparked social media backlash over the award's presentation on the red carpet before the main ceremony. Star Wagner Moura remains nominated for best actor.
The 31st Critics Choice Awards, seen as an Oscar bellwether, took place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, kicking off the awards season for film and television. The Brazilian film O Agente Secreto, starring Wagner Moura and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, won Best International Film, beating entries including Jafar Panahi's Iranian-French-Luxembourgish It Was Just an Accident, Taiwan's Left-Handed Girl, South Korea's No Other Choice, Spain-France's Sirât, and Argentina's Belén.
The award was unexpectedly announced and presented on the red carpet while Kleber Mendonça Filho was giving a TV interview. 'I wrote the film to develop with him [Wagner Moura]. Everything worked out. We filmed last year, had a lot of fun,' the Pernambuco director said before being interrupted by the reporter with the win news. Surprised, he replied: 'I had no idea'.
While the achievement is historic—Brazil's first in the category—social media users criticized the organizers for not presenting it during the main ceremony. 'How ridiculous. I loved that we won, but delivered like this. Better to have sent it by mail,' tweeted user Kayke. Another, Lucas Barreto, wrote: 'Everyone all dressed up for the ceremony and such… arrives at the interview and wins the award? Better to have sent it by mail'. Users like lulo and Hipercondríaca called it 'disrespectful' and a 'great lack of respect' to the filmmaker.
Brazil notched other wins that night: Adolpho Veloso took Best Cinematography for Sonhos de Trem, directed by Clint Bentley and streaming on Netflix. Wagner Moura lost Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for Dope Thief to Owen Cooper in Adolescence, but remains nominated for Best Actor for his role in O Agente Secreto, up against names like Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Set during Brazil's military dictatorship and following a fugitive professor, the film also vies for Golden Globes in January.
