Edwin 🦦’s review published on Letterboxd:
When I watch movies, I watch them to escape from reality. It’s a way for me to detach from daily stressors and to distract myself from real-life problems. However, The Brutalist is a necessary counterpoint. It’s a movie that forces me to contemplate the cost of progress and the illusion of freedom. It’s not just a story of personal survival but of the erasure and commodification of culture in a country that promises freedom but demands conformity.
I believe The Brutalist is the most important American movie since The Tree of Life. Where The Tree of Life meditates on memory, nature, and grace, The Brutalist explores the brutal architecture of ambition and the erosion of self in pursuit of belonging. Adrien Brody’s performance captures the quiet inner turmoil in Terrence Malick’s characters: men grappling with loss, faith, and purpose. The Brutalist pushes further in its exploration of societal implications, questioning how America embraces immigrant identity, commodifies art, and exploits personal trauma. It reflects a nation defined by both opportunity and oppression. Both movies are a profound meditation on existence. The difference is that Malick asks why we exist, while Corbet asks what we must sacrifice to be seen.
The Brutalist is the only movie that is 3.5 hours long that I will never get tired of rewatching. There are a lot of subtle details that gain new meaning with each viewing. The cinematography and the haunting score create an atmosphere where every scene feels heavier upon a rewatch. If The Brutalist is playing near you, please don’t hesitate to watch it. It deserves to be experienced on the big screen.
