The Brutalist (Digital 4K)

The new film by Brady Corbet, the director of The Childhood of a Leader and Vox Lux, is an audacious and enrapturing American post-war epic. Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor László Tóth arrives in America in 1947 with nothing but his name. Navigating the poverty and degradation of a new life, his sole beacon of hope is the letters he exchanges with his wife, who remains stranded in Europe. But he soon crosses paths with a wealthy magnate who can potentially change his fortunes and offer him a path to the American Dream. Novelistic and richly detailed, Corbet’s portrait of Tóth is a compelling excavation into the immigrant experience, and a potent rumination on the dark connections between capitalism, power, trauma and art. Beautifully constructed – like one of Tóth’s own vertiginous creations – The Brutalist soars; from Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce’s magnetic performances to Lol Crawley’s stunning VistaVision cinematography and Daniel Blumberg’s mesmerising score. Viewing the film on 70mm further emphasises the dazzling grandeur and overwhelming majesty of Corbet’s masterpiece, justifying its status as an instant classic.

Kimberley Sheehan, Film and Events Programmer

Contains scenes of sexual assault and drug use.

Audio Description available at all screenings.

The screenings on Sunday 26 January 11:30 NFT3; Wednesday 29 January 13:15 NFT3; Saturday 1 February 12:00 NFT3; Thursday 6 February 13:20 NFT3 will be presented with additional Descriptive Subtitles of non-dialogue audio (more to follow in February).

See screenings at BFI IMAX.