Hidden Agenda

Ken Loach excels at directing social dramas, but it is evident from watching Hidden Agenda that he is also a capable director of political thrillers.

The film takes place in Northern Ireland where an international civil rights group have just concluded an investigation of police brutality among other things. On the morning of their departure one of the members of the group is shot by the British security forces. His wife stays to make sure that the case is solved, but even the high-ranking police officer who is resolved on getting to the bottom of the case hesitates when he finds out how explosive the truth is.

What makes Hidden Agenda such a powerful thriller is Loach's flair for realism. The story itself may seem a bit far-fetched, but in Loach's hand it is made plausible because of the everyday quality of the characters, the dialogue, and the surroundings.