The Brutalist: Brutal Baby
The Brutalist (2024)
Directed by Brady Corbett
Starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce and Joe Alwyn
Brutalism sucks. There, I’ve said it. It’s an architectural movement that enrages me. I find Brutalist buildings worse than hideous—they’re cold, alien objects unworthy of praise. Brady Corbet’s new film, The Brutalist, however, is anything but.
It tells the story of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian-born architect who immigrates to America after escaping the Holocaust. From Ellis Island, he travels to Philadelphia, where his genius is co-opted by tycoon Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce). From there, a deep and dark dynamic unfolds between them.
It’s a work of art grand in scale and oh-so-American in its ambition. After the overture (and how many movies even have overtures these days?), the film kicks into an experience that buzzes with vitality. The soundtrack blends an undercurrent of anxiety with towering tones of rapture. Even though the title cards were hard to read, the film’s title sequence felt exhilarating. It’s shocking to think this film cost less than $10 million to make because, like a monument, it feels as though Corbet set out to craft a timeless artifact.
Adrien Brody’s performance will certainly stand the test of time. He was László Tóth. And I don’t mean that in a method-acting sense—I mean that what I saw on screen felt true, authentic. It was as though Brody was experiencing László’s life, and we, the audience, were merely there to witness it. Guy Pearce, as Van Buren, was equally compelling. The Australian actor plays the consummate heel—I highly recommend The Count of Monte Cristo if you need further proof. And Felicity Jones, as László’s wife, Erzsébet, is a force of nature. Once she arrives on screen, the film completely changes. I hope all three actors are showered with awards.
But is this the great American epic of our time? The Brutalist certainly presents itself that way—evidenced by its inverted image of the Statue of Liberty. The runtime alone, including a 15-minute intermission, is anything but conventional. It’s a return to the classic roadshow theatrical release. But that shouldn’t be what makes it great—the story should. And its themes are deeply American, yet also profoundly anti-American. Capitalism, immigration, assimilation, and the vision of a singular genius—these are the ideas that underpin The Brutalist. The question is: does Corbet present them in a way that feels new?
The only contemporary filmmaker whose work has truly felt new to me is Ruben Östlund. When I first experienced his 2011 film Play or 2014’s Force Majeure (in which Brady Corbet had a minor acting role), his brilliantly composed tableaus felt fresh and challenging. Östlund’s style doesn’t rely on endless coverage and countless cuts to tell a compelling story. His images feel like stone reliefs chiseled from marble—completely opposed to convention and the status quo.
Corbet’s Brutalist has several beautifully crafted images. He and cinematographer Lol Crawley have a deep understanding of cinematic language and fully embrace the VistaVision format. But much of the film is shot with handheld camerawork, a style that, to me, feels highly conventional—cliché, even. It’s a filmmaking approach that feels ephemeral, like the fizz in a freshly opened can of Coke. Over time, I suspect, it will go flat.
I could be wrong, but I feel the buzz around this film stems from a dearth of great art. In 1959, you could’ve seen The 400 Blows, Good Morning, North by Northwest, Pickpocket, Rio Bravo, Imitation of Life, or Some Like It Hot—all in one year. A glance at this year’s Oscar nominees makes it painfully clear that we are not in 1959. Film buffs want to live through a paradigm shift in cinema, and The Brutalist feels like it’s striving to be that catalyst. But it isn’t. Its style is cliché, and in its final act, the story fails to become the great American epic it so clearly aspires to be. It falls short because the ending feels immature—like an impudent child flipping the middle finger. If this film had come out in 1959, it would feel wonderful, but not extraordinary.
That said, The Brutalist is, at times, both stunning and sublime. It can also feel a bit awkward. It’s obvious why the film is winning awards and garnering praise. As I said at the beginning, this film is immensely ambitious. It is a towering experience that fully realizes what it means to go to the movies. Great films are made for the big screen. The Brutalist is no exception.
Who is Brady Corbet? I admire this man. He’s put on some weight, so I didn’t immediately recognize the young actor from Haneke’s 2007 Funny Games. I hear his directorial debut is impressive, and discovering his other work is now on my to-do list. Because a review this critical is only possible when a work of art aims as high as The Brutalist does. Corbet may be flying too close to the sun with this film, but I say: fly on, good sir. Fly on.I encourage everyone to see this film while it’s still in theaters. You might not love its style. You might even hate it, just as I hate Brutalist architecture. But I do believe you will be impressed by the scope and ambition of its achievement.