--- title: "The Secret in Their Eyes" year: 2009 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-secret-in-their-eyes" fi1m_id: "the-secret-in-their-eyes" imdb_id: "tt1305806" tmdb_id: 25376 wikidata_id: "Q748851" fi1m_score: 78 critics_score: 65 critics_reviews: 10 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:11.222076+00:00" region: "SG" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) Directed by Juan J. Campanella · 2h 10m · Mystery, Thriller, Drama ## Identity The Secret in Their Eyes - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-secret-in-their-eyes - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-secret-in-their-eyes - **IMDb ID:** tt1305806 - **TMDB ID:** 25376 - **Wikidata ID:** Q748851 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1305806/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/25376, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q748851 **Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 65 from 10 reviews *In a sentence:* Ricardo Darín investigates a murder with considerably more confidence than he approaches his own love life > *The Secret in Their Eyes* is a satisfying crime drama with performances that make its frustrated romance matter. The middle wanders and the music sometimes insists too hard, but the people hold our attention. ## Synopsis A murder investigation in Argentina draws Benjamín Espósito (Ricardo Darín) into a story of loss, frustrated love and unfinished business. Moving between past and present, the film follows a search for justice that becomes entangled with personal memories and the country’s history of dictatorship. Espósito is one of several people whose private lives remain bound to the case, as the police procedural develops alongside an unrequited romance. Soledad Villamil plays Irene Menéndez Hastings, with Guillermo Francella as Pablo Sandoval and Pablo Rago as Ricardo Morales. Juan José Campanella directs and co-writes with Eduardo Sacheri. ## Review Juan José Campanella’s *The Secret in Their Eyes* is a good crime drama that gives its unrequited romance enough attention to make both stories matter. The murder inquiry moves between past and present, alongside memories that its characters cannot comfortably put away. Campanella and co-writer Eduardo Sacheri give the investigation room for comedy, grief and political unease. They occasionally ask the plot to carry too much. Still, the people involved remain worth following when the route becomes unnecessarily complicated. Ricardo Darín plays Benjamín Espósito with a reserve that could easily have made him dull. Instead, the performance suggests the effort involved in keeping an expression under control, especially when feelings threaten to become obvious. Soledad Villamil’s Irene Menéndez Hastings is a strong presence beside him, and their chemistry gives the frustrated love story a reason to occupy so much of the film. We believe in the attraction without needing it announced at every opportunity. The restraint also allows the humour to arrive without making either character seem foolish. The Argentine setting matters because the search for justice takes place against a history of dictatorship and political violence. The screenplay connects that public history to private lives without requiring every exchange to become a lesson. There is something troubling in how readily a familiar procedural can accommodate such a setting. Institutions that a crime drama might ordinarily ask us to trust cannot simply be taken on their word here. That uncertainty gives the investigation some of its bite. Cinematographer Félix “Chango” Monti’s football-stadium chase is the conspicuous technical attraction. The continuous shot makes the size of the place a source of suspense, allowing the pursuit to develop without the usual relief of a cut. We were tense watching it, because finding one person in that crowd looks difficult enough before anyone has to catch him. The sequence earns its place as a thriller set piece, though it is also the point at which the film seems most keen to impress. The quieter scenes survive the comparison because the cast remains so watchable. Campanella also edits, and the shifts in time are generally easier to follow than the changes in tone. The comedy helps these people feel companionable, but the move back towards violence can be abrupt. In the middle, the leisurely pace begins to feel like reluctance to leave material behind, and some of Campanella and Sacheri’s complications are more dutiful than surprising. The film runs 130 minutes; it has enough human interest to justify a substantial length, though not every detour earns its keep. A firmer cut would have helped. The music by Federico Jusid and Emilio Kauderer is less persuasive when it presses the romance towards melodrama. Darín and Villamil have already supplied the feeling, and the score can make their work seem less delicate than it is. Campanella’s fondness for embellishment extends beyond the soundtrack, particularly when the storytelling becomes emphatic. This does not undo the performances. It does occasionally make us wish he would leave a moment alone and let the actors finish it. As a mystery, it belongs to the familiar tradition of an investigation becoming personal, and we need not mistake that familiarity for a fault. It asks us to spend time with people whose hesitation matters as much as their ability to solve a case. The performances make that a fair request. We recommend it for an evening when the conversations are as much of a draw as the chase, with some patience reserved for the middle. *Fi1m score 78, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to the film’s blend of murder mystery, frustrated romance and political history, with praise clustering around Ricardo Darín’s restrained performance and the cast’s chemistry. Supporters find the shifts between past and present emotionally involving, and see substance in the treatment of memory, justice and Argentina’s dictatorship. The photography and stadium chase also draw repeated praise, with the latter impressing even some critics who resist the drama around it. The spread is wide, however, and reservations concern more than occasional implausibility. Several reviews find the plotting loose, the pace leisurely or the sentiment overdone; The Skinny admires Darín and the stylish direction but finds the thriller flabby and unconvincing. The handling of tone is particularly divisive: Eye for Film praises the changes of direction, while The New York Times finds the mood shifts and twists over-embellished. Time Out goes further, judging the themes shallow and the rewards insufficient. ## Straight answers **Is The Secret in Their Eyes worth watching?** *The Secret in Their Eyes* is worth watching for anyone who wants a crime drama where the conversations matter as much as the chase, and we scored it 78. Ricardo Darín and Soledad Villamil make the frustrated romance as involving as the murder inquiry. The middle wanders and the score presses too hard, so bring some patience. **How long is The Secret in Their Eyes, and what is it rated?** *The Secret in Their Eyes* runs 2h 10m. It is a mystery and thriller film. **Where can I watch The Secret in Their Eyes in Singapore?** *The Secret in Their Eyes* is not on any streaming or rental service in Singapore at the moment. It is available in 18 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is The Secret in Their Eyes, and is it suitable for children?** *The Secret in Their Eyes* carries an 18 certificate in the UK and is not suitable for children. It is built around a murder investigation set against Argentina's history of dictatorship and political violence, and the film can shift abruptly from comedy back to violence. It suits adults who can take a serious crime drama rather than the squeamish. **How does The Secret in Their Eyes compare to Brief Encounter?** *The Secret in Their Eyes* and [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) share a love story between people who cannot say what they mean, but the Argentine film wraps its romance inside a murder investigation. Lean's film is the purer and finer piece, and the one we would urge a stranger to see. Choose Campanella's if you want a thriller as well as an ache. **Is The Secret in Their Eyes based on a true story or a book?** *The Secret in Their Eyes* is based on a novel by Eduardo Sacheri, who co-wrote the screenplay with director Juan José Campanella, rather than on a true story. The murder and the characters are fiction, though the film sets them against Argentina's real history of dictatorship. You do not need to have read the book to follow it. **What should I watch after The Secret in Their Eyes?** After *The Secret in Their Eyes*, try [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): For the aching restraint of people who cannot say what they mean. Then [*The Official Story*](https://film.one/film/the-official-story) (1985, Fi1m 81): Another Argentine drama in which private lives cannot escape political violence; and [*Memories of Murder*](https://film.one/film/memories-of-murder) (2003, Fi1m 91): A murder inquiry with uneasy humour and an increasingly troubling search for certainty. ### Reviews we read (23) - **Little White Lies**, Clemmy Manzo (4/4/4): A stylish and intelligent Argentine period noir with hardboiled thrills, strong cast chemistry and beautiful cinematography that explores passion, memory, regret and justice. The unrequited love story and murder mystery grip throughout despite some obvious plotting. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-secret-in-their-eyes) - **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (80/100, inferred): A taut thriller and unrequited love story that indicts Argentina's military junta past, with beautifully shaded performances especially from Darín and a suspenseful stadium chase scene in an intelligently touching spellbinder. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-kd74e5/the-secret-in-their-eyes/) - **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (B-): The review finds the film intelligent but conventional, an actor’s showcase with glossy values that is a little too polite and lacks passion and memorable images. It praises the adult puzzle about love, loss, justice, and memory but notes Campanella keeps the material at arm’s length. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-secret-in-their-eyes-1798164794) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (30/100, inferred): An enormously pretentious time-hopping police procedural with naff music and shallow themes of injustice and true love that ultimately offers not enough reward despite diverting elements like the stadium chase. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-secret-in-their-eyes-1) - **Slant Magazine** (1/4): The critic dismisses the film as playing like a Law & Order episode that only passes for high art because it is foreign, calling it a bad film regardless of language. It singles out the formulaic structure, lack of originality, and Academy’s poor judgment in awarding it an Oscar. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-secret-in-their-eyes/) - **Empire**, Kim Newman: The critic calls it an enthralling and profoundly human piece of cinema with a heart, comparing it favourably to top Law & Order episodes set in a fascist state. Standout elements include Ricardo Darín’s lead performance and a breathtaking stadium chase sequence. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/secret-eyes-review/) - **Evening Standard**: The film is described as well-made with intelligent use of humour and two outstanding performances, though a full class below the other Oscar nominees it beat. It is recommended as worth seeing despite the questionable elevation of its Oscar win. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/strange-case-of-the-oscar-in-the-secret-in-their-eyes-7421179.html) - **IndieWire**, robbiefreeling: The piece frames the Oscar winner as undeserving, highlighting limits of vision in its storytelling and execution. It critiques the film's failure to fully deliver on its ambitious themes despite the award recognition. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general/limits-of-vision-juan-campanellas-oscar-winning-a-k-a-undeserving-the-secret-in-their-eyes-225796/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Betsy Sharkey: The haunting mystery solved by a haunted mind delivers many pleasures in a beautifully calibrated traditional movie that marries topic, talent, and tone. Darín anchors the film as the spine connecting its characters across time with precision and artistry. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-apr-16-la-et-secret-20100416-story.html) - **Screen Daily**: An unusual mix of frustrated love story and police procedural that packs an emotional punch thanks to strong lead performances and warm chemistry, despite a rambling mid-section, leisurely pacing and unfocused plotting at times. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/the-secret-in-their-eyes-el-secreto-de-sus-ojos/5005581.article) - **Sight and Sound**, Maria Delgado: The film is a romance-cum-thriller that on the surface seems a conservative Oscar choice but deeper probes historical memory, vigilante justice and Argentina's dictatorship traumas. Darín delivers a minimalist central performance that anchors the examination of the past. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/5597) - **The Guardian**, Philip French: The critic praises the film as one of subtlety, distinction and depth, noting its emotional force and virtuosic narrative skill in blending past and present, private lives and social currents. They highlight the strong central performances and atmospheric photography while acknowledging occasional implausibilities outweighed by the overall impact. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/15/secret-in-their-eyes-review) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, The Associated Press: The critic calls it a riveting Argentine thriller with witty dialogue and poignant love stories that interweaves personal lives with a 25-year manhunt. Praise goes to the communicative director, excellent cast led by Ricardo Darín, and subtle political commentary, with only minor complaint about overly long endings. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/secret-eyes-film-review-93570/) - **The Independent**: The critic finds the Oscar-winning Argentine thriller worthy and compelling but not on the level of stronger competition like A Prophet or The White Ribbon. It is praised as a well-made noir with strong performances, especially from Ricardo Darín, and an effective football-stadium chase sequence. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/dvd-the-secret-in-their-eyes-18-2177849.html) - **The New Yorker**, David Denby: The movie is a powerfully imagined legal thriller that blends romanticism and realism with rhapsodic urgency, flashes of violence, and humor. A few scenes veer toward telenovela melodrama, but the labyrinthine entertainment rewards discussion afterward. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/04/19/perilous-love) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis: The film is an attractive, messy drama that mixes violence, comedy, and three strong performances while shifting between a whodunit, romance, and ghost story. Campanella tends to over-embellish the material with sudden mood shifts and outlandish twists. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/movies/16secret.html) - **The Times**, Cosmo Landesman: The review calls it an impressive, engrossing cop-lawyer thriller mixing lush romanticism with hard-boiled realism and a poetic, melancholy tale of murder and love. It notes some corny moments but praises the understated seductive melancholy, emotional connections with characters, and rewarding adult drama. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/the-secret-in-their-eyes-3rtm7r9b85w) - **Variety**, Jonathan Holland: The film is a deeply rewarding throwback that is simply mesmerizing, packing love stories, noir thriller elements, comedy, political critique, and food for thought into compelling grown-up entertainment. It marks a darker, more complex direction and Campanella’s finest work to date. [Read](https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/the-secret-in-their-eyes-1200477075/) - **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it old-fashioned in the best senses, with a strong story mixing romance, thriller aspects, comedy and political intrigue that zips through time while remaining satisfying. Singles out the director's skill at changing tack between tones and making all the characters feel believable. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-secret-in-their-eyes-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) - **The Playlist**, Drew (A-): It absolutely deserved the Oscar as one of the most satisfying and emotionally rich thrillers in years, with great humanity that is funny, touching and gripping. Singles out the audacious unbroken five-minute soccer stadium sequence as a standout. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-secret-in-their-eyes-deserved-20100416/) - **Collider**, Elisa Guimarães (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's twisty mystery, political commentary on Argentina's dictatorship, and striking single-shot soccer stadium sequence as highlights of this Oscar-winning thriller. The unexpected ending exploring justice, memory, and obsession stands out as particularly memorable. [Read](https://collider.com/secret-in-their-eyes-2009/) - **Digital Spy**, Stella Papamichael (80/100, inferred): The critic calls the Argentinean drama a quiet revelation that rises above its crime framework into a moving parable about accepting love. They single out the repressed passion in Ricardo Darín's lead performance and the director's use of dry humour to balance emotional frustration with the story's undercurrents. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a259201/the-secret-in-their-eyes/) - **The Skinny**, Philip Concannon (★★): The film is described as a rather silly and flabby thriller despite a strong central performance from Ricardo Darín and stylish direction. The critic complains that the plotting strains credibility, with groan-worthy elements and a laughable, sentimental climax. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-secret-in-their-eyes) ## Details - **Director:** Juan J. Campanella - **Director:** Juan J. Campanella - **Writer:** Juan J. Campanella, Eduardo Sacheri - **Novel:** Eduardo Sacheri - **Cinematography:** Félix "Chango" Monti - **Editor:** Juan J. Campanella - **Music:** Federico Jusid, Emilio Kauderer - **Costume design:** Cecilia Monti - **Producer:** Juan J. Campanella, Mariela Besuievsky, Carolina Urbieta - **Cast:** Ricardo Darín as Benjamín Espósito; Soledad Villamil as Irene Menéndez Hastings; Pablo Rago as Ricardo Morales; Javier Godino as Isidoro Gómez; Guillermo Francella as Pablo Sandoval; Carla Quevedo as Liliana Coloto; Bárbara Palladino as Compliment Girl; Alejandro Abelenda as Pinche Mariano - **Runtime:** 2h 10m - **Release (Singapore):** 23 February 2016 - **Genres:** Mystery, Thriller, Drama - **Budget:** $2 million - **Box office:** $34 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhEuUDO0YUQ ## Where to watch in Singapore Not streaming, renting or buying in Singapore at the last check. Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, CH, CL, CO, EC, ES, FR, GB, KR, MX, NL, NZ, PA, PE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2010: Best International Feature Film (won) - European Film Award for Best Film 2010: European Film Award for Best Film (nominated) - International Submission to the Academy Awards 2010: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: For the aching restraint of people who cannot say what they mean. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md) - *The Official Story* (1985), Fi1m 81: Another Argentine drama in which private lives cannot escape political violence. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-official-story.md) - *Memories of Murder* (2003), Fi1m 91: A murder inquiry with uneasy humour and an increasingly troubling search for certainty. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/memories-of-murder.md) - *Tell No One* (2006): A personal loss drives a mystery whose complications reward close attention. - *The Vanishing* (1988), Fi1m 88: A colder account of the damage done by needing an answer. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-vanishing.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-secret-in-their-eyes