The Brutalist

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, The Brutalist is available in Australia on Netflix and BINGE, and in the US on HBO Max Amazon Channel and YouTube TV right now. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 1,694 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Watch it for Adrien Brody — one of the stronger performances out there right now. Available now on Netflix — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

The Brutalist is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The Brutalist trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. When an innovative modern architect flees post-war Europe, he is given the opportunity to rebuild his legacy. Set during the dawn of the modern United States (in Pennsylvania), his wife joins him, and their lives are forever changed by a demanding, wealthy patron. Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones lead a cast doing genuinely serious work here. It hit screens in 2024. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, The Brutalist delivers. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Adrien Brody's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.