You’ve probably seen the posters. Stark, monochrome, maybe a little intimidating. Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist isn't just a movie; it's a massive, three-and-a-half-hour beast of a film that has critics losing their minds and regular theater-goers checking their watches before the first frame even flickers. Finding The Brutalist movie showtimes is becoming a bit of a sport for cinephiles because, honestly, the distribution strategy for this thing is as unconventional as its 70mm VistaVision aspect ratio. It isn’t your typical Friday night multiplex filler.
It's long. Really long.
Most theaters are struggling to fit more than two screenings a day into a single auditorium. When you factor in the mandatory 15-minute intermission—yes, an actual scheduled break where you can stretch your legs—the runtime pushes past the four-hour mark. This creates a massive logistical headache for local cinemas. If you're looking for a quick 7:00 PM showing, you might be out of luck. Most venues are opting for early afternoon matinees or "marathon" evening slots that don't let out until well past midnight.
Why are The Brutalist movie showtimes so limited?
The reality of modern cinema is built on "turns." A theater wants to flip a room four or five times a day to maximize popcorn sales and ticket revenue. The Brutalist kills that model. Because of its sheer scale, many independent theaters like the Alamo Drafthouse or the Angelika Film Center are treating it as an "event" rather than a standard release.
Distribution is being handled by A24, a studio known for playing the long game. They aren't dumping this on 3,000 screens at once. Instead, they are rolling it out in "waves." First come the 70mm specialty engagements in major hubs like New York City, Los Angeles, and London. Only after the prestige aura has been sufficiently established do the digital DCP versions trickle down to the suburban mall theaters.
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If you live in a mid-sized city, you've probably noticed that The Brutalist movie showtimes don't even appear on Fandango until a few days before the weekend. This is intentional. Theaters are monitoring ticket demand closely. If a Saturday 1:00 PM showing sells out, they might sacrifice a couple of screenings of a shorter horror flick to squeeze in another block for Corbet’s epic.
The Intermission Factor
Let’s talk about that intermission. It’s not a gimmick. Corbet specifically designed the film with a "built-in" break to mimic the grand roadshow presentations of the 1950s. While this is great for your bladder, it’s a nightmare for automated scheduling software.
- Standard movies: 90–120 minutes.
- The Brutalist: 215 minutes + 15-minute intermission + 20 minutes of trailers.
- Total "Seat Time": Roughly 4 hours and 10 minutes.
Because of this, you’ll often see weird gaps in theater schedules. A cinema might have a showing at 12:00 PM and then nothing until 5:30 PM. It’s basically taking up the space of two regular movies.
Finding a 70mm Screening Near You
If you’re going to see this, you really should try to find it on film. The movie was shot on VistaVision, a high-fidelity film format that offers incredible detail. Seeing it on a standard digital projector is fine, but it’s like listening to a symphony through phone speakers.
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Major cities with dedicated film projectors—places like the Music Box Theatre in Chicago or the Hollywood Theatre in Portland—are the "holy grails" for The Brutalist movie showtimes. These venues often sell out weeks in advance. If you see a 70mm tag on a listing, buy it immediately. Don't wait. Honestly, the difference in texture and color depth on a physical print is what makes the architecture in the film actually feel "brutalist" and heavy.
How to actually get a ticket without the headache
Don't just rely on Google's "movies near me" widget. It’s notoriously buggy with long runtimes and intermissions. Often, the widget will display the start time but fail to account for the actual end time, leading to some nasty surprises if you've booked a dinner reservation or a babysitter.
- Check the Theater’s Direct Website: Chains like AMC and Regal often have specific landing pages for "A24 Events."
- Look for "Roadshow" Billing: Some theaters list it under a different title or category to denote the 70mm version.
- Weekday Matinees: These are your best bet. Because the movie is such a time commitment, Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon screenings are often half-empty, giving you the best seats in the house.
It's a story about Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian-born Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust and emigrates to the United States. Adrien Brody plays him with a sort of frantic, desperate dignity. It’s about the American Dream, but not the shiny, postcard version. It's about concrete, dirt, class warfare, and the literal building of a legacy.
The Cost of a Long Runtime
Expect to pay a premium. Some theaters are tacking on a "long-format surcharge" or simply raising the price because it’s a specialty 70mm print. It’s annoying, but considering the shipping costs of those massive film canisters, it's somewhat understandable. A 70mm print of The Brutalist weighs hundreds of pounds and requires a specialized projectionist to run.
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What to do before your showing
Since you'll be in that seat for a while, prep is key. This isn't a "grab a large soda" type of movie unless you have iron-clad willpower. Most people find that eating a heavy meal before the show is a mistake because the dark theater and the 215-minute runtime are a recipe for a mid-movie nap.
Instead, aim for a light snack and utilize that 15-minute intermission for its intended purpose. The film is divided into two distinct acts. The first half is the arrival and the struggle; the second half is the grand construction and the inevitable moral decay. The break serves as a mental "reset" that is absolutely necessary to process the sheer density of the narrative.
Real Talk: Is it worth the effort?
Look, some people are going to hate this. It’s slow. It’s deliberate. It focuses on the grain of wood and the pouring of concrete. But if you loved There Will Be Blood or The Godfather, this is in that same lineage of "Great American Epics" made by directors who don't care about your attention span.
Finding The Brutalist movie showtimes is the first hurdle. Sitting through it is the second. But for those who care about the craft of filmmaking, it’s the most significant theatrical event of the year.
Actionable Steps for Your Screening
To ensure you actually get to see The Brutalist in its intended format, start by searching for "70mm film theaters" in your state rather than just searching for the movie title. Once you locate a film-capable venue, check their schedule for "Roadshow" engagements, which typically feature the full intermission. If you are restricted to a digital screening, prioritize theaters with "Dolby Cinema" or "IMAX" branding to handle the film's complex soundscape and high-contrast visuals. Book your tickets at least 48 hours in advance for weekend slots, as the limited number of daily screenings causes "bottlenecking" where the few available seats fill up rapidly. If you're traveling more than an hour to a theater, call the box office to confirm the intermission is being honored, as some automated chains occasionally try to skip it to save time—though this is rare for this specific release.