Despite an interesting premise, the Spanish action thriller Agent Zeta is chaotic and bogged down by endless exposition. So much so that each expository passage in the film paves the way to a generic action sequence. The film follows a Spanish intelligence agent named Zeta (Mario Casas), who is called back into action midway through his sabbatical after four other members of his organisation get murdered by an anonymous killer. Joining Zeta on the mission to find the killer and solve the mystery behind an old mission is Alfa (Mariela Garriga), a Colombian agent described as the best in her class.
The film is mostly focused on the mechanics of its plot. However, unlike some of the run-of-the-mill thrillers, Agent Zeta adds a personal layer to its central mission, thus enhancing the stakes, at least in the script. Zeta has a personal reason to discover the identity of the killer. However, interestingly, the film keeps its titular character on the sidelines for the most part, positioning him in the middle of action sequences only when the exposition ends. Therefore, it seems a strange choice to name the film after Zeta.
Luis Zahera has a far better role in the film (not that this makes it good) as Salvador Ancares, another agent who is connected to the mysterious mission with mass casualties at the heart of the story. Funnily enough, his only job for a large part of the story is to explain the events from that tragic day in Colombia. It becomes difficult to catch up with the narrative at some points, especially when the characters mention the names of mysterious figures one after another in a single stretch. Before you figure out who Tirapu and Sito Baltar are, for instance, the film suddenly shifts focus to Furiase first and then to Casiel. Kudos to the subtitler for mentioning one particular line from Luis Zahera as a ‘history lesson,’ because it is indeed one big piece of spoonfeeding.
Packed with well-executed stunt sequences, the film gets exhausting quickly due to a lack of eagerness. There is chaos onscreen and in the film’s screenplay. It has some nifty twists and turns as well, but these can be seen coming from a mile away.
Unfortunately, the makers do not understand the strengths of the film. For example, it is no accident that some of the best moments in it come long after the dust has settled. The moments where the principal characters speak a thousand words with mere glances and stares. If Agent Zeta had been more subtle in its execution of the plot, we would have a compelling thriller.