Benjamín Espósito (Darin), long retired from his work in Argentina's justice system, decides to fill his free time writing a novel about a particularly brutal murder that's stuck with him for decades. Old habits die hard, and as he retraces the twists and turns of the investigation, the case's many loose ends pique his sleuthing instincts. Along the way, he runs across his former supervisor, Irene Menéndez-Hastings (Villamil), and as the two reminisce about the crime, and their efforts to solve it, their long-suppressed attraction rekindles. That the two may still be in love many years later is just one of the secrets Espósito uncovers in his quest for the truth.

It's no easy feat to balance a decade-spanning police thriller with a romance of suppressed passions. Director Campanella pulls it all off with aplomb, spinning his tale via flashbacks that put past and present on a collision course towards a wholly credible and satisfying conclusion. Instead of detracting from the central murder mystery, Benjamín and Irene's failure to connect is cleverly framed as a case to be solved in its own right. After you watch this, you won't need any further clues to explain why "Secret" took home the Oscar for Best Foreign Film.