A solid thriller about political activists and conspiracy theories within the British government in Ireland, Hidden Agenda allows both Brian Cox and Frances McDormand to shine.
I’ll admit that there are movies where I get a little lost in the intricacies. This typically happens to me when governments and the military in other countries are involved. Secret conversations occur, larger government policies are tested, and while I follow the story, I always feel like I’ve missed a little something along the way. Like there are nuances about that government or its history that I’m not aware of or should have known going in. This is probably a “me” thing, so hopefully that won’t happen to you here.
Hidden Agenda is a thriller about two American human rights activists who are in Ireland and part of a grass roots investigation into the possibility that local people are being killed by the British police to keep them quiet in regards to anger with British rule over Ireland. When one of the activists meets undercover to obtain a tape with evidence, he is killed in a car along with the driver. His partner, Ingrid, and Investigator Peter Kerrigan try to unravel exactly what happened and why.
Before watching this movie, I highly encourage you to do a little research about Ireland and its relationship with Britain in the last 100 years. Things have changed some since the release of this movie, but this history is really important within the context of the film.
The film itself is led by the incomparable Frances McDormand and Brian Cox – a combo I never knew I needed until I suddenly had it. She plays the surviving activist, the romantic and business partner of the murdered man, and Cox plays the investigator who often works against the grain.
There is a great soundtrack behind the action that builds the tension and does everything that a dependable thriller should. There is constant movement, constant conversation, constant investigation, and constant mystery while they work to dissect what might be a conspiracy.
Where I got lost was in the nuances of who worked for where and why their motivations were what they were. I strongly believe that some of this could have been remedied had I known the history (which you will), but I think they could have done a bit more work to clarify some of the relationships.
This is a solid thriller and drama about a rich history of unrest and unspoken work to quiet people from speaking out against Irish nationalism. Hidden Agenda is made that much richer because of the two leads and, when you watch it, you can come back and help me understand what I might have missed.
Runtime: 108 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Available: Free on Tubi, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
I’ll admit that there are movies where I get a little lost in the intricacies. This typically happens to me when governments and the military in other countries are involved. Secret conversations occur, larger government policies are tested, and while I follow the story, I always feel like I’ve missed a little something along the way. Like there are nuances about that government or its history that I’m not aware of or should have known going in. This is probably a “me” thing, so hopefully that won’t happen to you here.
