One of the year’s most highly anticipated awards contenders, director Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, finally debuted in limited release this week. Despite being over three and a half hours long — the movie also has a built-in 15-minute intermission — The Brutalist saw loyalists turn out in massive numbers in four New York and Los Angeles venues; it sold out over 30 screenings over the weekend. Distributed domestically by indie outfit A24, the movie also delivered one of the best per-theater averages of the year, and is poised for a remarkable theatrical run, especially if it’s able to generate awards attention like it is expected to.
The Brutalist generated around $266,000 this weekend, for a per-theater average of $66,000. This is the third-highest PTA of the year, behind Neon's Anora ($91,000) and Searchlight’s Kinds of Kindness ($75,000). While Anora emerged as a solid box office hit following its limited release — the movie has grossed around $30 million worldwide — Kinds of Kindness couldn’t translate its excellent limited debut to mainstream success. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone — the movie marked their third time working together after the critically acclaimed box office hits The Favourite and Poor Things — Kinds of Kindness made only $16 million worldwide.
Produced on a reported budget of under $10 million, The Brutalist premiered in competition at this year’s Venice Film Festival, where Corbet was honored with the Silver Lion award for Best Director. The film has earned exceptionally positive reviews, with many naming it among their top 10 of the year. It currently holds a 93% “fresh” rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with Collider’s Ross Bonaime describing it as “an ambitious, towering achievement of a film” in his review.
Adrien Brody Is Back
The Brutalist also marks something of a comeback for star Adrien Brody, who remains the youngest man to win the Best Actor Oscar. He won for his leading role in The Pianist, at the age of 29. Like that film, The Brutalist is also a period drama; it follows a Hungarian-born architect who immigrates to the United States to chase the American Dream. Also starring Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach De Bankole and others, the film is playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Your changes have been saved
The Brutalist follows visionary architect László Toth and his wife Erzsébet as they flee Europe, aiming to rebuild their legacy in modern America. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious and wealthy client alters the course of their lives, intertwining ambition with the challenges of a new world.
Director Brady Corbet
Main Genre Drama
English (US) ·