We’ve reached the point in the year where we’re getting a flood of stories all vying for year-end awards. Some of these stories are about people and from places we don’t often see. It can be a way to learn more about these places and times, dropped into stories we don’t know.

One of those is The Secret Agent, which opens this week in limited release. It’s set in Brazil in 1977, a time of great unrest and corruption. It follows a man who stood up to the system and sought to escape with his son, if he could.

We meet Armando (Wagner Moura) as he’s traveling to the small area of Recife during the carnival holiday. It’s a perilous journey and a dangerous area. During the holiday, already nearly 100 people have lost their lives. It’s even more perilous for Armando.

He’s traveling under the name of Marcelo because he’s being hunted. Armando is a talented scientist and researcher who got on the bad side of a corrupt government official. His wife was killed, and now he’s going into hiding. He finds a place of refuge with Dona Sebastian (Tania Maria). He’s one of a group of political refuges waiting for their chance to make a way out.

He has come for two reasons. First, he wants to find out more about a mother he never knew. Second, he wants to find a way to safety for himself and his son. But to do that, he has to survive long enough to escape. That isn’t easy with assassins chasing him.

This is an interesting story set during a turbulent period in Brazil’s history. It’s Brazil’s official entry to the Academy Awards and could well earn some nominations. Last year’s entry—I’m Still Here—focused on the same period and was among the Best Picture nominees.

This film is a long journey that takes an interesting jag at the end. That might not sit as well with some, but I thought it worked for the story that’s being told. It does a nice job of capturing the period and capturing this story. There are moments of levity and some interesting production values as it comes to fruition over the course of 160 minutes.

Director Kleber Mendonça Filho does a nice job of laying out the story and the world. There are some beautiful and emotional moments before we get to a wild ending sequence. Throughout it all, the film is anchored beautifully by Moura in the lead role.

Moura is a talented actor, and he slips into this role well. He carries most of the narrative and is electric in the lead role. There is a sequence in the middle, when Armando is telling the story of his trouble, that really captured his ability in the role. It’s worth checking out for him alone. He could be in the running for Best Actor.

The Secret Agent is a longer film that might not appeal to everyone. But it’s a well told story that’s worth checking out this awards season.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.