It’s Time That You Clear Nearly Four Hours for ‘The Brutalist’
It almost goes without saying that three and a half hours is a ridiculously long run time for a movie. Even with The Brutalist’s 15-minute intermission, I bet you never thought you would sit in a cinema that long. Audiences couldn’t even watch The Irishman in one sitting at home, and the 2019 Martin Scorsese film was a tad shorter than The Brutalist. But after the marathon of a film won three Academy Awards at the 2025 Oscars, I bet skeptics will carve out some time for the Adrien Brody-starring film.
Brody won his second Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as the fictional Hungarian architect László Tóth in The Brutalist. The film also took home the night's honors for Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. Though three Academy Awards is likely under what the Best Picture hopeful was looking for on Oscars night—especially following ten nominations—it's still a major honour.
"I think it’s evident that my work is incredibly meaningful to me," Brody told Esquire US ahead of awards night. "That’s something I’ve learned through my mother’s dedication to her work as a photographer. I’ve been very privileged to work with so many talented people, and I love the work that I set out to do as a young boy, and feel very grateful for that. I’m coming up on 40 years as a professional actor, and I hope to not only carry on in that tradition but to further contribute to the creative process as a producer and potentially a director and a writer, and all the wonderful components of creative storytelling that I’ve had the privilege of really being steeped in since being a boy."
The Brutalist follows a Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor named László Tóth (Brody) who seeks to make a new life for himself in postwar America. Though he struggles at first, he eventually meets a wealthy patron (Guy Pearce) who uplifts his work—and psychologically tortures him over decades. Over its lengthy run time, the film touches on everything from xenophobia and Zionism to the relationship between the artist and those who fund their work.
“No one was asking for a three-and-a-half-hour film about a mid-century designer on 70 millimeter,” director Brady Corbet said in his acceptance speech for Best Motion Picture – Drama at the Globes. “But it works. So please, just think about it.” Corbet also took home Best Director, while leading star Adrien Brody won Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.
“I was told that this film was un-distributable. I was told that no one would come out and see it,” Corbet continued. “I don’t resent that, but I want to use this as an opportunity to lift up filmmakers—not just my fellow nominees but all of the extraordinary directors in this room. Films don’t exist without the filmmakers. Please, let’s support them. Let’s prop them up.”
When Will The Brutalist Be Streaming?
For now in the UK, The Brutalist is only available to rent on Google Play, Apple TV+, Sky Store and YouTube for £15.99.
Since the Academy Awards just took place, I wouldn’t be surprised to find the film streaming later this month. Until then, there’s still a seat waiting for you at the theater.
You Might Also Like
