The Brutalist, directed by Brady Corbet, won Best Picture at the prestigious London Critics’ Circle Awards on Sunday. The three-and-a-half-hour drama follows the journey of a Jewish Hungarian architect, László Toth, who emigrates to the United States after the Second World War. Since its unofficial premiere in 2024, the film has received widespread acclaim from critics, with Adrien Brody earning a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his extraordinary performance as László Toth.
The Brutalist recently secured 10 Oscar nominations. In addition to Best Picture, Corbet is nominated for Best Director, while Brody is in the running for Best Actor. Felicity Jones has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Guy Pearce for Best Supporting Actor.
The film follows László Toth as he leaves Hungary in the aftermath of the Holocaust to rebuild his life in America. As an architect, he envisions reshaping human consciousness through a new, purified form—Brutalism. The vast amounts of concrete he pours into the landscape of his adopted country are intended to be monumental.
Although László Toth is a fictional character, as we noted in one of our most-read articles of 2025, at least two Jewish Hungarian architects fit the mould: Marcel Lajos Breuer and Ernő Goldfinger.
According to his own words, Adrien Brody drew inspiration from his mother, photographer Sylvia Plachy, for his portrayal of László Toth, saying the character was ‘one that I felt immediate kinship and understanding for.’ He explained:
‘She fled Hungary in 1956 during the Hungarian Revolution and was a refugee who immigrated to the United States, much like László, starting over and pursuing a dream of becoming an artist. I understand a great deal about the repercussions of that on her life and her work as an artist, which I think is a wonderful parallel with László’s creations—how they evolve and how post-war psychology influences his work.’
Some critics have described this as Brody’s best performance, a compelling argument given the roles he has played throughout his distinguished career. Many anticipate that he will take home the Oscar for Best Actor in 2025. The Academy Awards ceremony is set to take place on 3 March.
Reviews for The Brutalist have been overwhelmingly positive, and the film currently holds a 93 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes. After the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2024, the audience gave a standing ovation that lasted for several minutes. It has already been reported that the movie is expected to be available for digital streaming from Tuesday, 25 February, via premium video on demand.
