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The Brutalist

The Brutalist

Welcome to America.

2024216 minRMidcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Director
Brady Corbet
Starring
Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

When an innovative modern architect flees post-war Europe, he is given the opportunity to rebuild his legacy. Set during the dawn of the modern United States (in Pennsylvania), his wife joins him, and their lives are forever changed by a demanding, wealthy patron.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Brutalist?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Brutalist streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Brutalist?

The Brutalist earns 14 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Top 10% of films.

Show 6 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Brutalist worth watching?

The Brutalist's Midcredits score is the 90th percentile of all films, from 970K ratings across 6 sources. 78% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

90th percentile

Better received than 90% of films

92nd percentile among Drama91st percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)89th
Approval (how many liked it)88th

74 /100

89th percentile of all films

91st percentile among Drama88th percentile among 2020s

Critics 91 · Audience 73

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.1 — solid but not unanimous.

78% liked it

88th percentile of all films

90th percentile among Drama88th percentile among 2020s
78% rated it 7–1022% rated it 1–6

Critics 93% · Audience 79%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 30 wins / 66 noms overall

  • WonGolden Globes· Best Director - Motion Picture
  • WonGolden Globes· Best Motion Picture - Drama

99th percentile

969K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 13% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$10M
Opening weekend$267K
Domestic gross$16M
Worldwide gross$50M

Returned 5.0× its budget — 95th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree that the film is a technically accomplished but structurally uneven epic that prioritizes visual and thematic ambition over emotional connection.

Fans praised

  • Adrien Brody's Oscar-worthy performance channels flinty anger and palpable melancholy
  • VistaVision cinematography creates stunning period-appropriate visuals and iconic imagery
  • Daniel Blumberg's score swells with emotional and rhythmic intensity

Detractors panned

  • Overlong runtime makes the film feel like an endurance test rather than a rewarding epic
  • Second half loses narrative coherence with aimless subplots and a rushed, unsatisfying resolution
  • Self-important tone mistakes pretentious seriousness for depth, leaving viewers emotionally detached

What stands out

ActingDivisive88

Brody's immersive, career-best performance; Pearce and Jones also praised, though detractors find Brody's role similar to The Pianist

Cinematography88

Stunning VistaVision images, meticulous framing and period authenticity

Sound and musicDivisive82

Emotionally resonant score, effective use of archival audio; some find it monotonous

CharactersDivisive55

Protagonist deeply drawn but unsympathetic; secondary characters dismissed as one-dimensional stereotypes

Emotional impactDivisive48

Fans moved by Brody's suffering; detractors find it manipulative and cold

Plot and storyDivisive40

First half compelling, second half derails into fragmented, unresolved storylines; weak payoff

PacingDivisive35

Deliberate in first half, falls apart after intermission; runtime feels unjustified and tedious

EndingDivisive35

Rushed climax and epilogue leave many questions unresolved; divisive

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 16 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 12 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Brutalist like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
DreadMelancholicTense
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its epic story of immigrant struggle and artistic ambition with grave seriousness, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe synopsis builds toward rape, a near overdose, and violent confrontation before a reflective epilogue, with sustained tension throughout.
StructureThe story is told chronologically in two parts plus an epilogue, following László's journey from the late 1940s to 1980.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you pondering the cost of artistic integrity and the hollow promise of the American Dream, with a bittersweet final note of legacy achieved through immense suffering.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeLászló Tóth, a Holocaust survivor and architect, struggles to rebuild his life and career in America; the story follows his healing from trauma through his art, despite enduring exploitation and addiction.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfTraumaSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% (this title) · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Trauma · 7% of filmsAmbition · 7% of filmsOppression · 4% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines how Holocaust trauma and recurring assaults of class power warp a creative life, and how the drive to build a legacy collides with systemic exploitation.
StanceThe film mourns the deformation of a creative spirit by trauma and systemic power, focusing on László's interior collapse rather than a societal indictment in the abstract.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanRuralInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Daniel Blumberg
SettingPost-war Philadelphia and New York, with scenes in a quarry in Italy

Content guide

Is The Brutalist okay for kids?

R

The Brutalist is rated R: “Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, rape, drug use and some language” (MPAA). As of October 5, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (55/100), sexual content at intense (79/100), language at moderate (46/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (86/100) and frightening material at intense (62/100). Overall it is heavier than 71% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 44 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland16
  • New ZealandR16
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Argentina+16
  • Austria14
  • BGD
  • CL14
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK15
  • Hong KongIII
  • Hungary18
  • IndiaA
  • Israel14
  • Italy6+
  • LTN-16
  • LV16+
  • MexicoC
  • MOD
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesR-16
  • PortugalM/16
  • PRR
  • RO15
  • SingaporeR21
  • SK18
  • South Africa16
  • Spain16
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan12+
  • TH18
  • Türkiye18+
  • UA18+
  • VIR
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 82% of all filmsHeavier than 71% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 31%
Sex & Nudity
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 97%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 18%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 95%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 48%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is drug and alcohol content, sexual content, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Brutalist have?

MovieCove's classifier found 7 depicted content warnings in The Brutalist: Addiction or relapse (severe), Gore or body horror (mild), plus 5 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereAddiction or relapse
MildGore or body horror

Cast and crew

Who is in The Brutalist?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Adrien Brody
as László Tóth
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Felicity Jones
as Erzsébet Tóth
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Guy Pearce
as Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr.
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joe Alwyn
as Harry Lee
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Raffey Cassidy
as Zsófia
Stacy Martin
as Maggie Lee
Isaach De Bankolé
as Gordon
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Alessandro Nivola
as Attila
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Ariane Labed
as Older Zsofia
Michael Epp
as Jim Simpson

Crew

Directed by

Brady Corbet

Written by

Brady CorbetMona Fastvold

Cinematography

Lol Crawley

Edited by

Dávid Jancsó

Music by

Daniel Blumberg

Produced by

Matthew Sippel, Heather Nodelman, Mark Lampert, Jiarui Guo, Brady Corbet, Saskia Gigi Duff
+43 more, Maddie Browning, Jesse Ozeri, Yuchuan Cao, D.J. Gugenheim, Brian Young, Ronald Richardson, Ruby Walden, Owen Matthews, Michael Orcutt, Scott Weber, Emily Richardson, Nursultan Tasmagambertov, Trevor Matthews, Mona Fastvold, Norman Merry, Peter Hampden, David Hinojosa, Carter Stanton, Aaron Himmel, Klaudia Smieja, Ron Curtis, Zach Verdin, Joseph King Salwen, Annamária Ligosztájeva, Mark Gillespie, Simon Baxter, Thomas Pierce, Joshua Horsfield, Max Kondziolka, Peter Vaughan, Scott Lake, Kelly Peck, Sarah Meyohas, Kyle Stroud, Andrew Morrison, Oleg Nodelman, Nick Gordon, Evangelo Kioussis, Pamela Koffler, Andrew Lauren, Viktória Petrányi, Christine Vachon, Alexa Goldberg

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What are movies like The Brutalist?

Movies like The Brutalist include Ferrari (2023), Maestro (2023) and Far from Heaven (2002). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories about husbands and wives, and several are films set in an immigrant community.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its praise for cinematography. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with The Brutalist?

220 other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: master and servant. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.