After surviving the Holocaust, Hungarian-Jewish architect László Toth (Adrien Brody) relocates to the United States where he settles in Pennsylvania while awaiting the arrival of his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones), whom he had long been separated from due to the war. Hoping to rebuild his life, career, and marriage, László struggles to find his place in America until wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) recognizes his skills, forcing László to face the heavy cost of reinventing oneself.
The Brutalist runtime includes a 15-minute intermission.