The Brutalist is rated R by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, rape, drug use and some language.
Violence and Trauma: The film mentions Holocaust details that drive the main character’s personal tragedy. The film conveys Holocaust emotional weight through storytelling and flashbacks about László’s traumatic experiences from his past.
The film contains aggressive behavior expressed through Harrison Van Buren’s abusive actions toward others. Scenes show angry confrontations and implied fights but the film avoids showing violent actions clearly.
The film reveals hints of sexual attacks and sexual exploitation. The film describes Harrison and his son Harry as dangerous men who could possibly commit rape in their actions. Despite displaying no actual sexual violence, the film deals with disturbing violent acts that may affect sensitive viewers.
Sexual Content and Nudity: The film displays nude scenes through vintage porn graphics during art segments. The movie contains stylized scenes which could be explicit.
The narrative includes sexual relationships but they remain minor parts of the overall story. Partial nudity and sexual behavior feature in distinct scenes.
The film examines mature relationship scenarios and questionable behavior between adults which younger viewers should not see.
Substance Use: László loses control of his drug addiction through wild scenes that combine jazz music and mind-altering substances with crazy activity. László uses drugs and alcohol which cause direct harm to his mind and body as viewers watch these changes unfold.
Characters from László’s group and the Van Buren family typically drink alcohol during group get-togethers and alone. The movie shows characters consume more alcohol than normal in specific locations.
Language: The film contains frequent abusive language that is used repeatedly throughout the plot. The movie characters display their bad emotions through direct and harsh language.
People use hateful language against immigrants and others who society marginalizes. The scenes follow the film’s exploration of anti-immigrant feelings and social discrimination.
The Brutalist Ending Explained
(Spoiler Warning: This article discusses major plot points and the ending of The Brutalist. If you haven’t seen the film yet, proceed with caution.)
This film narrates how Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth endured hardship and displacement before pursuing his artistic vision. Following World War II László leaves his home country due to war damage to journey to the United States. The Holocaust survivor László fights for his future in America against prejudice despite starting fresh in a country that offers opportunities to all.
In Philadelphia he finds his cousin Attila who runs a furniture shop and invites his cousin to stay with him. Attila introduces László to Harrison Van Buren who owns a manufacturing business yet shows clear prejudice toward immigrants as his first impression. Harrison’s children Harry and Maggie persuade their father to test László’s abilities because they see the value in his designs.
READ ALSO: Brave the Dark Parents Guide
Harrison contacts László against his better judgment and learns that the European architect already designed famous buildings worldwide. Impressed by his talent, Harrison offers him a monumental commission: He decided to build a community center as a memorial to his mother’s memory. The central project defines László’s American journey by providing artistic expression while enabling him to invite his wife and niece from Europe to join him in the United States.
László and the Van Burens experience serious difficulties with their connection. Harrison uses his money to manipulate and dominate the people who work for him. He supports László’s work but shows his true nature in his dark fantasies and sinister tales about social inequality. His son Harry shows similar disrespectful conduct just like his father.
László must tackle problems at work and home in equal measure. As an architect he produces Brutalist-style designs which clash with the conservative preferences of his clients. He experiences mental health issues connected to his Holocaust trauma plus the isolation of being an immigrant alongside tough family duties and keeping to his core values. He begins to suffer psychological issues keeping him from living correctly and repeatedly gets into trouble through drugs and superintending artwork.
Erzsébet and Zsófia, meanwhile, begin to see America for what it is: Americans see this nation as offering both chances for progress and strong resistance against foreign ideas and different cultures. Oxford graduate Erzsébet develops her understanding of her husband’s challenges through her intellectual abilities. Zsófia demonstrates wisdom beyond her years as she realizes that they will never fully fit in American society. Zsófia makes up her mind to relocate to Israel as she wants an environment where her Jewish roots won’t make her feel less at home. Erzsébet states that America’s problems have become too serious to handle.
A big time shift happens in the movie where we move from the mid-20th century to Venice in 1980. At this age László relies on a wheelchair and his speech abilities decline due to his old age. He faces health challenges yet his architectural accomplishments continue to stand strong.
Ariane Labed as adult Zsófia speaks for her father’s career achievements at his celebration event. The Laszlo architectural exhibition focuses on his Brutalist style that showed the powerful aesthetic of postwar structures. These buildings started out as unpopular due to their unique style but today are respected as graceful artistic inventions.
The film turns toward Venice through analog footage and pop music to give viewers a different experience that opposes the earlier visual style. This ending works as more than just a final statement because it reveals how perspectives about art and legacy evolve as time passes.
Director: Brady Corbet
Writers: Brady Corbet, and Mona Fastvold
Starring: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce
Release Date: January 24, 2025