Review: The Brutalist
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INTRODUCTION
This is a quick review of the newly released film The Brutalist. Keep in mind this is but one of the many movies I watch every year, and that whatever initial grade I come up for this film could change for better or worse with time. To better keep up to date with both my thoughts on other movies and if my feelings on this film changed, follow me on Letterboxd.
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THE PLOT
Via Letterboxd: Fleeing from post-war Europe in 1947, visionary architect László Tóth and his wife Erzsébet settle in Pennsylvania where a wealthy and mysterious client changes their lives forever.
QUICK REVIEW
Some epics feel like they can only be pulled off by certain directors - those capable of crafting sprawling, decade-spanning masterpieces that film historians will study for generations to come after their initial screenings. Names like D.W. Griffith, Cecil B. Demille, David Lean, Akira Kurosawa, Ingrid Bergman, Martin Scorsese, and Christopher Nolan come to mind. But the director of Vox Lux? That’s not exactly who you’d expect.
Then again, considering my favorite film of the year comes from a director who once worked on Step Up sequels, maybe it’s not so surprising. Directors sometimes hone their craft with mid-tier films before delivering something extraordinary. Even Scorsese’s early works gave little indication of the masterpieces to come. If anything, I’m thrilled to see Brady Corbet stepping up and proving his potential as a masterful storyteller.
The Brutalist feels like a film straight out of the seventies - a raw, unflinching examination of the myth that is “The American Dream”. It scrutinizes class, the treatment of immigrants, and the struggle of artists to define their legacy while having little control over how that legacy is actually shaped to begin with. The film takes its time, but every moment feels purposeful. Despite its length, I never found myself checking the clock; every conversation and story beat held my full attention. A truly great epic draws you so deeply into its world and characters that you lose track of time, and The Brutalist does exactly just that.
One scene that epitomizes this immersion is when Adrien Brody’s character, László, reunites with his long-lost wife at a train station. It’s a deeply emotional moment that made me sense and feel the elation and nervousness of the moment, and Brody’s performance is nothing short of Oscar-worthy. For the first time since The Pianist, he delivers a role that could rival that Academy Award-winning turn. Every emotion he portrays feels raw and authentic, making it impossible not to empathize with László.
Felicity Jones, playing Erzsébet, László’s wife, deserves far more recognition for her work than she has so far. Her presence in the second act provides much-needed stability during the film's darker moments, which dominate that section of the story. Her performance is understated yet powerful, anchoring the narrative (and László) when it (and he) threatens to spiral into despair.
The standout, however, might just be Guy Pearce as the enigmatic and wealthy benefactor who both transforms and breaks László. Pearce walks a fine line, exuding charm and genuine kindness while hiding a monstrous side that emerges in ways both terrifying and inevitable. His performance is magnetic, capturing the unpredictable danger of a man whose power can suffocate those around him.
The direction is exceptional, ranking among the year’s best, and the cinematography, editing, and score are equally impressive. Each element works in harmony to create a film that feels meticulously crafted, all on a reported budget of just ten-or-so million. It’s a testament to what can be achieved with pure vision and skill.
Perhaps the most striking choice is the inclusion of an intermission, a rarity in modern cinema that underscores the film’s ambition and roots in classic epic storytelling. They truly don’t make movies like these anymore.
The Brutalist is a sweeping immigrant period piece that calls back to an era when adult stories were told with depth and without compromise. It’s the kind of film you’d expect from the greats of cinema history, blending meticulous craftsmanship with bold storytelling. This is a near-masterpiece and one of the year’s absolute best films. Words can only capture so much of what makes this movie special, it demands to be experienced.
Unfortunately, access to the film is limited as I write this. It’s only playing in select theaters, and I myself had to search for weeks to find a way to watch it before getting access to a link that even some of my FYC sources couldn’t get me. That said, The Brutalist deserves to be seen on the big screen and I wish to have that experience if given the chance. It’s a film made for that kind of immersive experience.
For now, I’ll leave you with this - The Brutalist is an extraordinary achievement and a return to form to what some consider perhaps the greatest era in filmmaking. My initial grade for this one is a top-tier A+.
INITIAL GRADING
