Every government has one.
In Ireland, American lawyer Ingrid Jessner and her activist partner, Paul Sullivan, 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, 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.
Hidden Agenda (1990) is a drama and thriller film directed by Ken Loach, released on November 21, 1990 with a runtime of 1h 48m. It stars Frances McDormand, Brian Cox, Brad Dourif and Mai Zetterling. Viewers rate it 6.9 out of 10 across 112 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Hidden Agenda before you stream it.
Frances McDormand
as Ingrid Jessner
Brian Cox
as Peter Kerrigan
Brad Dourif
as Paul Sullivan
Mai Zetterling
as Moa
Bernard Archard
as Sir Robert Neil
Michelle Fairley
as Teresa Doyle
Maurice Roëves
as Harris
Jim Norton
as Brodie
John Benfield
as Maxwell
Bernard Bloch
as Henri
Des McAleer
as Sgt Kennedy
Ian McElhinney
as Jack Cunnigham
Directed by Ken Loach, written by Jim Allen, produced by Eric Fellner.
Average viewer score of 6.9/10 from 112 ratings.
I think that with the possible expection of "Kes" (1969), I was always put off Ken Loach's films because of his so overtly self-indulging political agenda. This one also allows him to have a go at the British establishment too, as it bathes in the fertile waters of Irish political discord and by the end of it I wasn't quite sure if anyone's agenda was very well hidden. It all centres around the killing of an…
Reviewed on July 27, 2026
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Hidden Agenda (1990) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Hidden Agenda (1990) includes Frances McDormand, Brian Cox, Brad Dourif, Mai Zetterling and Bernard Archard. The film was directed by Ken Loach. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Hidden Agenda was released on November 21, 1990 and runs for 1h 48m.
Hidden Agenda (1990) holds an average rating of 6.9 out of 10 from 112 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and thriller films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Hidden Agenda trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
