Hidden Agenda

R

1990

1 hr. 48 min.

Mystery & Thriller

List

86%

21 Reviews

Tomatometer

72%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

In Ireland, American lawyer Ingrid Jessner (Frances McDormand) and her activist partner, Paul Sullivan (Brad Dourif), struggle to uncover atrocities committed by the British government against the Northern Irish during the "Troubles." But when Sullivan is assassinated in the streets, Jessner teams up with Peter Kerrigan (Brian Cox), a British investigator acting against the will of his own government, and struggles to uncover a conspiracy that may even implicate one of Kerrigan's colleagues.

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Audience Member

A decent, fairly gripping and well-acted, yet slow-moving and conventional political thriller. The most disappointing thing about it, though, is that it—based on what I've seen by him thus far—doesn't feel like a Ken Loach film. (7/10)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Drawn out but well written.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This should have broken out of the American Art House circuit and gotten a fist full of Oscar noms. The most underrated film of 1990. Essential.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The conflict surrounding Northern Ireland will never be understandable. This film portrays one incident - true or not - and captures the spirit and emotions and terror in Belfast in the early 80s. It's political. It's good.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Brian Cox is immense in this fine political thriller from legendary British director Ken Loach. Set in Ulster during the troubles it mainly focuses on the British governments shoot to kill policy. Cox stars as the dectective hired to investigate the murder of an American human rights lawyer. Frances McDormand offers fine support as they both set out to recover a missing tape that can expose Thatchers government.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Good film with some very good performances by the cast.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

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Ken Loach

Director

Frances McDormand

Ingrid Jessner

Brian Cox

Kerrigan

Brad Dourif

Paul Sullivan

Mai Zetterling

Moa

Bernard Bloch

Henri

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Variety Staff

Variety

Though it attempts to make an acceptable theatrical entertainment out of a complex political saga, Hidden Agenda lacks bigscreen impact.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Stephen Garrett

Time Out

There's plenty of evidence of Loach's undiminished power as a film-maker, and equally ample evidence that something is very rotten in the state of Northern Ireland.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Caryn James

New York Times

This quietly explosive film comes to resonate more loudly than melodrama.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 20, 2003

Full Review

Farah Cheded

A Good Movie To Watch

A fascinating look at the slippery slope to complicity, this is a gripping, unabashedly ideological conspiracy thriller blending Hollywood polish with gritty reality.

Oct 28, 2023

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Hidden Agenda does sometimes feel like rather talky stage-play, but thanks to an increasingly emotive performance from Cox, the film manages to break into some energetic moments.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 20, 2020

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Moving fictionalized political thriller that's based on fact.

Rated: A

May 26, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

In Ireland, American lawyer Ingrid Jessner (Frances McDormand) and her activist partner, Paul Sullivan (Brad Dourif), struggle to uncover atrocities committed by the British government against the Northern Irish during the "Troubles." But when Sullivan is assassinated in the streets, Jessner teams up with Peter Kerrigan (Brian Cox), a British investigator acting against the will of his own government, and struggles to uncover a conspiracy that may even implicate one of Kerrigan's colleagues.

Director: Ken Loach
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $69.2K
Sound Mix: Surround

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