Agora (Movie Review)

Updated December 2025

New images from Agora, Alejandro Amenábar’s follow-up to The Sea Inside, have revealed the first look at Rachel Weisz as the astronomer Hypatia. These early stills offer a glimpse into the massive scale of the production, which looks to be a significant departure from the director’s more intimate previous works.

Rachel Weisz stars as Hypatia in Alejandro Amenábar’s historical epic.

Amenábar previously directed The Sea Inside, which won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, as well as the Nicole Kidman ghost story The Others.

Agora, like those other two, is co-written by Amenábar. It is set in Roman Egypt in the fourth century, telling the story of the legendary astronomer Hypatia (Weisz).

The film finds Hypatia trapped in the Library of Alexandria, fighting to save the old world’s wisdom from the religious riots sweeping the streets. In the midst of this chaos, her slave Davus (Max Minghella) wrestles with his yearning for freedom and his professed love for his mistress.

The visual style shown in these images suggests Amenábar is aiming for a gritty, realistic depiction of the ancient world rather than a polished Hollywood fantasy.

For more movie news and first looks, check out our Movie News archive.