One of the films to win big at the 2025 Golden Globes on Sunday, January 5 was The Brutalist—which few moviegoers have actually seen. Directed by Brady Corbet and co-written by him and his wife Mona Fastvold, the acclaimed A24 film and one of the best dramas of 2024 was among the most-nominated titles with a total of seven nods, just behind Emilia Pérez's 10. By the end of the awards show, The Brutalist nabbed three coveted prizes: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for star Adrien Brody, and Best Director.
If the Golden Globes are any indication of how the rest of the 2025 awards season is about to go, this won't be the last we're hearing of The Brutalist. Unless you consider yourself a major cinephile whose ears perked when the movie premiered at Venice Film Festival in September, you're tapped into "Film Twitter" or Letterboxd, or among the audiences who've already gotten out to see it in New York and L.A., the Globes may be the first time you're hearing of the period piece. Or, perhaps, the one thing you've heard about the film that's stuck with you is its lengthy runtime of three hours and 35 minutes, plus a 15 intermission.
Because the post-World War II tragedy starring Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones is absolutely worth seeing (yes, even with its runtime!) and will likely only earn more attention as awards season goes on, here's a guide on how to watch The Brutalist and whether it's streaming.
What is 'The Brutalist' about?
The Brutalist is an epic about the American immigrant experience, set in the aftermath of World War II. Brody stars as the fictional, renowned Jewish-Hungarian Brutalist-style architect László Toth, who studied at Bauhaus and was an artistic visionary across Europe before he was forced into the concentration camps. After surviving the war, he moves to the United States in hopes of starting anew and reuniting with his wife Erzsébet (Jones) and niece Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy), after they were separated. Eventually, once somewhat settled in the developing Pennsylvania, his path crosses with the wealthy investor and industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce), who recognizes how underused his talent has been in America and taps him for a project.
Told in two parts with an epilogue (and the 15-minute intermission coming after the first section), The Brutalist is altogether an astounding cinematic feat exploring the flaws of the American dream and how ingrained otherness and struggle is in the nation's fabric. The film's scale—made against a budget under $10 million—is rather impressive, and though Toth is not a real figure or based on a real person, Corbet's attention to detail and Brody's performance makes him feel immensely lived-in and real.
How to watch 'The Brutalist'
To see The Brutalist right now, you will need to carve out time to head to the movies. The A24 film is exclusively in cinemas and opened in just several theaters in N.Y.C. and L.A. on December 20, with some special presentations in 70 mm. (The film was shot in VistaVision, a widescreen format developed in the '50s.) Since then, the film has expanded to more theaters in N.Y.C. and L.A., and by January 9, it will open in more locations across the country. It's set to continue expand to additional cities by January 23. You can check online for local listings.
Every screening of The Brutalist has a 15-minute intermission included—it's literally a still that is part of the movie—likely so to not scare moviegoers away from its runtime. But seriously, do not fear the length: The drama moves and it's worth seeing on the big screen.
When will 'The Brutalist' come to streaming?
It's yet to be announced when The Brutalist will arrive on streaming. When it does, it should premiere on Max, since it's an A24 release and that's where the production house/distributor has an output deal.
Because the film was one of the most successful limited releases of 2024 and Corbet's intention was always to create a grand film with an intermission, it seems the movie still stay in theaters for quite some time. It may even continue to expand to more markets as awards season carries on and it ranks up more nominations. (Nominations for the 2025 Oscars will be announced January 17, ahead of the awards show on March 2.)
However, it may debut for at-home rental on platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV+ in the coming months, but a VOD release date has yet to be announced as well.
As for its Max release, we'd guess it won't appear on the streamer until at least late spring or summer.
