Peter plays Michael Hoffman in this internationally acclaimed film which recently won 3 Oscars.

When a visionary architect and his wife flee post-war Europe in 1947 to rebuild their legacy and witness the birth of modern United States, their lives are changed forever by a mysterious, wealthy client.

The movie stars 2025 Best Actor Academy Award winner, Adrien Brody as László Tóth. Guy Pearce plays Harrison Lee Van Buren. Felicy Jones plays Erzsébet Tóth.

Synopsis

After surviving the Holocaust, Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth emigrated to the United States after being forcibly separated from his wife, Erzsébet, and niece, Zsófia, in Budapest during World War II. He goes to Philadelphia, where he is given permission to stay with his immigrant cousin, Attila, and his American wife, Audrey while he searches for work.

In 1947, László assists his cousin in his furniture business. His son Harry surprises his father while he is away on business by asking him and Attila to renovate the study and library of wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren. Harrison is so upset about the condition of the renovations when he gets home that he tells László and Attila to leave without paying them for the materials and labor. Afterwards, after Audrey accuses László of pursuing her, Attila sadly requests that he leave his house.

Years later, while residing in a church’s charitable housing, László makes friends with Gordon, an impoverished African-American father who is having a hard time raising his young son. Gordon learns that László is secretly smoking heroin prior to their risky collaboration at a shipyard. Harrison eventually finds László and informs him that the architectural community has praised his state-of-the-art study/library. The money he pays László for the library renovation is used to purchase heroin with Gordon.

Harrison invites László to a party, where he is greeted as a distinguished guest but is also aware of teasing and whispering. Harrison commissions László to build a community center in honor of his late mother that includes a library, theater, gymnasium, and chapel after learning about his background as a successful architect in Europe and his desire to leave a lasting legacy. Work starts right away, with László living and working on the property and hiring Gordon, who has also developed into a fully functional heroin addict. The immigration of Erzsébet and Zsófia to the United States is accelerated for László’s services by Harrison’s personal attorney played by Peter Polycarpou.

Part 2: The Hard Core of Beauty

When Laszlo first meets Erzsebet and Zsofia at the train station in 1953, he learns that Erzsebet has osteoporosis and is now a full-time wheelchair user, and Zsofia has become mute as a result of the conditions and traumas endured during the war and its aftermath. When Laszlo discovers that the materials and design of the center have been altered without his consent, he clashes with the other developers. Even though László plans to pay for the supplies he needs to realize his vision, Harry tells him to keep his distance, claiming he is only “tolerated,” and he makes obscene sexual references to Zsofia, whom László advises not to approach, even though he may have already abused her. Later on, the train that was transporting László’s supplies derails and crashes, seriously wounding two brakemen. Due to the anticipated legal fees and the higher cost of transporting the materials, Harrison decides to stop the construction and fires László and all laborers.

Years later, Laszlo and Erzsebet are city dwellers who work for a New York City architecture firm. Zsofia has overcome her muteness and is now expecting a child with her new, devout Jewish husband. She informs her aunt and uncle that they are moving to Jerusalem in the then-new state of Israel, and she tries in vain to convince them to come with her. Harrison contacts László one day to inform him that if they forego the library at his community center in order to cover the legal expenses related to the train accident, they can complete the building on schedule and within budget.

In order to secure the stone required to complete the building, Laszlo contacts an old Italian ally whose antifascist militia has taken control of a Carrara quarry. Harrison rapes Lázsló in the quarry as a show of dominance and reprimands him for wasting his potential after getting wasted at a party the night before they depart for America. After they return, a more tense and traumatized László begins to lose it. In addition to firing his friend Gordon, making a scene in front of his wife, and skipping a developer meeting, he angrily yells at a worker who is playing on the scaffolding.

When Erzsebet runs out of painkillers for her osteoporosis, Lászlo begins injecting her with heroin, and one night she nearly overdoses. Laszlo concurs with her suggestion that Zsofia and her family relocate to Jerusalem after growing tired of America.

Erzsebet accuses Harrison of rape in front of his children and coworkers one evening when she pays him a visit at home. While Harry brutally abuses her and carries her out of the house, his sister Maggie takes care of her. By the time Harry gets back to the dinner table, the guests have left and Harrison is no longer there.

Epilogue

Erzsebet passed away in 1980, and an exhibition honoring Laszlo’s contributions over the years-including the community center, whose construction was finally finished more than ten years after it had been put on hold-was held in Venice. In a speech, a now-adult Zsofia emphasizes how Laszlo’s works were influenced by their experience with the Holocaust. “No matter what the others try to sell you, it is the destination, not the journey,” she concludes, reciting a quote from Laszlo.

Some off-camera shots.

Awards for The Brutalist so far.

Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
2025 · Adrien Brody
Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
2025
Academy Award for Best Music (Original Score)
2025 · Daniel Blumberg
Golden Globe Award for Best Director – Motion Picture
2025 · Brady Corbet
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture – Drama
2025 · Adrien Brody
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
2025 · Adrien Brody
Silver Lion for Best Director
2024 · Brady Corbet
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
2025 · Lol Crawley
AFI Movies of the Year
2025
BAFTA Award for Best Original Score
2025 · Daniel Blumberg
BAFTA Award for Best Direction
2025 · Brady Corbet
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
2024 · Adrien Brody
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film
2024
BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography
2025 · Lol Crawley
Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
2025 · Guy Pearce
Satellite Award for Best Director
2025 · Brady Corbet
AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film
2025 · Guy Pearce
Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actor
2025 · Adrien Brody
Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture, Drama
2025