Description

️ The Brutalist – Blu-ray Disc

A24 | 2024 | 200 min | Rated R | March 25, 2025

Genres: Drama | ️ Period | Epic | ️ Art & Architecture

Disc Specs

• Blu-ray Disc (BD-50)
• Video: MPEG-4 AVC | 1080p HD
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 (Original)
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
• Region: A (B, C untested)

Movie

3.5/5

An intellectually dense and emotionally aloof postwar saga, The Brutalist follows Hungarian architect László Tóth as he builds monumental spaces and fractured relationships across decades in America. A brooding, slow-burn odyssey of artistic obsession, trauma, and compromise. Adrien Brody delivers a commanding, if haunted, performance.

“Brutalism as a metaphor… or madness?” The line is thin and the runtime long.

1080p Video Quality

5.0/5

✅ Transfer from 4K restoration (no HDR, unlike the UHD)
✅ Superb encoding and color grading for 1080p

• Intricate textures and vivid contrast across mixed media formats (16mm, 35mm, digital) ️
• Natural grain with artistic variability — 16mm scenes show rougher texture and softer detail
• Warm amber interiors and steely grays form a striking Brutalist palette
• VistaVision inserts offer a clean, pristine pop in select sequences

➤ No Dolby Vision? No problem — the Blu-ray actually holds up brilliantly and may be preferred by purists over the SDR 4K disc.

Audio Quality

5.0/5

DTS-HD MA 5.1 track — eerie, meditative, immersive
Score by Daniel Blumberg pulses with ghostly minimalism
Sound design recalls The Zone of Interest, using disembodied audio and spatial distortion to reflect inner trauma

• Dialogue crisp and natural
• Rear channels used atmospherically, not bombastically
• Moments of silence hit as hard as the music

➤ A masterclass in sonic restraint.

Special Features (on Blu-ray)

• ️ Audio Commentary by Director of Photography Lol Crawley — deep dive into camera setups, visual motifs, and tone shaping
• The Architects of The Brutalist (HD, 24 min) — cast & crew reflect on the film’s themes, characters, and architectural influence

• Overall Score

4.0/5 – Dense, Designer Cinema

✨ A beautifully presented Blu-ray for one of A24’s most ambitious epics
️ Visually rewarding and sonically immersive, even if the film itself divides audiences
The Blu-ray may offer a more emotionally resonant experience than the SDR 4K

Recommended for architecture buffs, A24 collectors, and viewers who like their cinema slow, stark, and cerebral.