An interesting Police Cover up in Northern Ireland is exposed. Acting is very good.

A very absorbing film which is completely effective both as a thriller and as an analysis of politics in Northern Ireland.

Bluntly political, Loach spends the majority of Hidden Agenda's running time making the (not unreasonable) case that Britain has no place in Northern Ireland and so it should kindly fuck off and close the door on the way out. This does lead to a blinkered approach to the politics of the film - the IRA are roundly ignored while all the British villains are cartoonish Tories - but this soapboxing doesn't diminish from a strong mystery with great turns from Cox and McDormand.

Believable for the most part and quite shocking. Jim Allen and Ken Loach have achieved a political thriller reminiscent of the works of Alan J. Pakula and Costa-Gavras.