From Lady Bird to Midsommar and Everything Everywhere All at Once, production company A24 has served us with some of the most impactful, headline-making films, and as Hollywood’s award season kicks off, there’s one film on everyone’s lips – The Brutalist.
Taking home three of the top prizes at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards – Best Drama Film, Best Director, and Best Actor – the three-and-a-half-hour-long pseudo-biographical film has continued to add many of the industry’s biggest accolades to its wrap sheet, leaving many fans curious as to what all the hype is about.
Curious to learn more about this year’s most critically acclaimed film? Below, we answer your most frequently asked questions about The Brutalist.
What is The Brutalist movie about?
The Brutalist follows the story of László Tóth – a Hungarian Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor – as he immigrates to post-World War II America and attempts to re-establish himself.
The film, which spans 33 years of László’s life, initially centres around his commissioning by wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren to design a community centre, however, as the story unfolds, his brutalist architectural style becomes symbolic of the dissonance between his European past, American present, and his traumatic road to freedom.
After bringing his wife Erzsébet and niece Zsófia to the U.S., László begins to work on the project while simultaneously attempting to combat his heroin addiction. As he struggles to present his artistic vision, László’ is repeatedly undermined by Harrison, and soon begins to suffer abuse at his commissioner’s hand.
Is The Brutalist based on a true story?
Despite being grounded in the stories of many prominent immigrant architects, The Brutalist is not based on one particular individual, but rather a collection of stories from Jewish architects in post-war America.
Speaking on the film’s themes, director Brandy Corbert told Deadline, “Amidst a revamped cycle of populism and prejudice in the 21st Century, The Brutalist is a film which celebrated the triumphs of the most daring and accomplished visionaries; our ancestors.”
“The Brutalist is a continuation of [Brandy’s] unique interpretation of major historical moments of the past century,” continued the film’s producer Andrew Lauren, adding, “This story resonates for me as the grandson of an immigrant artist, and is unquestionably relevant to the political discourse we are having in America today.”
Does The Brutalist have an intermission?
While it may be practically unheard of in major blockbusters, The Brutalist does feature a 15-minute intermission halfway through the film.
The movie, which sports a run time of over three-and-a-half hours, is divided into two parts – ‘Part 1: The Enigma of Arrival’ and ‘Part 2: The Hard Core of Beauty.”
“It was always scripted. We always knew we wanted to have that break in the middle,”co-writer Mona Fastvold told IndieWire, with director Brandy Corbet adding, “I personally have a hard time sitting still for three-and-a-half hours, so I needed it, and it was a public-facing decision.”
Who is the cast of The Brutalist?
The Brutalist features an ensemble cast of incredible talent. Leading the film as László Tóth is Adrien Brody, who received the Best Actor Award at the 2025 Golden Globes for his portrayal.
Starring alongside Adrien is The Theory of Everything’s Felicity Jones as László’s wife Erzsébet, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert star Guy Pearce as Harrison Lee Van Buren. and Joe Alwyn as Harrison’s son, Harry Lee Van Buren.
When is The Brutalist released in Australia?
While we may be a bit behind when it comes to movie releases, Aussies, fortunately, won’t have to wait too much longer to catch The Brutalist in cinemas, with the film slated for release in Australia on January 23, 2025.
Where to watch The Brutalist
Although there is no news yet on when we’ll be able to catch The Brutalist on streaming, based on A24’s previous Australian distributions, fans can anticipate that The Brutalist will most likely be available to watch on BINGE.
While the film may only just be hitting Australian cinemas, be sure to sign up to BINGE for all the latest streaming updates on The Brutalist and upcoming A24 releases.
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