Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist has been turning heads since its December 2024 release, earning praise for its sweeping 215-minute dive into architecture, trauma, and the immigrant experience in post-World War II America.
The film follows László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian-Jewish architect who arrives in America after surviving the Holocaust, hoping to rebuild his life.
With a sweeping timeline from 1947 to 1980 and an ensemble stacked with Oscar winners, A24’s brooding epic demands a deep dive into the characters and the stars who play them.
Here’s your complete guide to The Brutalist cast and characters.
Adrien Brody as László Tóth
A Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor, László Tóth arrives in America to start over.
But the dream of rebuilding gets twisted when he’s pulled into the orbit of a powerful industrialist.
Brody delivers his most celebrated performance since The Pianist, earning him a second Oscar and the longest acceptance speech in Academy history.
Known for: The Pianist, Succession, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Felicity Jones as Erzsébet Tóth
Erzsébet is more than László’s wife—she’s his anchor. Also a Holocaust survivor, she holds the moral thread of the story, confronting corruption and exploitation with quiet intensity.
Jones earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nom for this role.
Known for: The Theory of Everything, Rogue One
Guy Pearce as Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr.
A charismatic American industrialist who commissions László’s designs but slowly exerts dangerous control.
Pearce’s performance is chilling and ambiguous, culminating in one of the film’s most disturbing scenes.
Known for: Memento, L.A. Confidential, Mare of Easttown
Joe Alwyn as Harry Lee Van Buren Jr.
Harrison’s entitled son. He represents inherited power and privilege with none of his father’s subtlety.
His interactions with Zsófia hint at predatory tendencies and fuel a quiet tension.
Known for: The Favourite, Conversations with Friends
Raffey Cassidy as Young Zsófia
László’s orphaned niece. Her mutism and resilience offer a stark contrast to the manipulations around her.
Her journey from observer to independent woman forms one of the film’s most poignant arcs.
Known for: Tomorrowland, White Noise
Ariane Labed as Older Zsófia
Decades later, Zsófia speaks at the Venice Architecture Biennale, reframing László’s legacy in her own voice. Her closing speech is quietly haunting.
Known for: Assassin’s Creed, Attenberg
Supporting Cast
- Stacy Martin as Maggie Van Buren: Harrison’s daughter, caught in her family’s shadows.
- Isaach de Bankolé as Gordon: A fellow architect and ally to László.
- Alessandro Nivola as Attila: László’s cousin who assimilates and ultimately betrays him.
- Emma Laird as Audrey: Attila’s wife, who catalyses László’s descent.
- Michael Epp as Jim Simpson: A rival architect brought in to destabilise László’s work.
- Jonathan Hyde as Leslie Woodrow: Builder stuck between artistic vision and industrial pressure.
- Peter Polycarpou as Michael Hoffman: A Jewish lawyer who facilitates Erzsébet and Zsófia’s immigration.
What Is The Brutalist About?
The film begins in 1947, following László and Erzsébet’s migration to the U.S. as they attempt to escape the past.
László, once a visionary in Europe, finds himself clashing with American capitalism, addiction, and trauma.
It’s an epic on the cost of survival and the erosion of identity under pressure.
Awards & Reception
- Premiered at Venice International Film Festival, won Silver Lion for Best Director
- Adrien Brody: Best Actor at Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes
- Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce: Oscar nominations
- Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes (94%)
Where to Watch The Brutalist
Distributed by A24, the film was released theatrically on 20 December 2024. Streaming details pending.
FAQs
Who plays László in The Brutalist?
Adrien Brody plays László Tóth, a Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor.
What happens at the end of The Brutalist?
Zsófia delivers a speech in Venice, presenting László’s legacy to the world, while Harrison’s fate remains ambiguous.
Is The Brutalist based on a true story?
No, but it draws heavily from postwar European immigrant experiences and the rise of brutalist architecture.
Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist turns trauma and ambition into architecture.
Its cast is the scaffolding that holds it together—each character revealing a new angle in the structure of memory, power, and survival.
