Adrien Brodywon the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance inThe Brutalist, and there are five other great films by the actor that are available to stream now, including another movie he won an Oscar for.Adrien Brody andThe Brutalistwon the Best Actor Oscarduring the 2025 Academy Awards, beating out some stiff competition from Timothee Chalamet, Sebastian Stan, and Ralph Fiennes, among others. He also set several Oscars records, asBrody was the first person to win his first two Oscar nominations, andBrody also delivered the longest acceptance speech in Oscars history.
With all the acclaim and hype that a Best Actor Oscar entails, fans may want to see some of Adrien Brody’s earlier work beforeThe Brutalist. Luckily, Brody has had a long career, and some of his best films are available to stream right now on various streaming services. These five movies are all great examples of why Adrien Brody is such a renowned actor, and they all highlight some part of the talent that won him his second Oscar. One of the following movies even earned Brody his first Oscar, and it’s just as engaging today as it was two decades ago.
Long before winning an Oscar forThe Brutalist, Adrien Brody secured his first Best Actor Oscar for 2003’sThe Pianist. Brody played Władysław Szpilman, a Polish and Jewish musician and pianist who was living in Nazi-occupied Poland during the 1930s and 40s. As the synopsis indicates,The Pianistis a heart-wrenching film about tragedy, grief, and resistance during one of the worst atrocities in human history, and Brody’s performance is utterly devastating. He also devoted his entire being to the performance, andBrody says he can’t watchThe Pianistbecause it was so traumatic.
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Aside from Adrien Brody’s stellar performance,The Pianistreally is the perfect companion piece toThe Brutalist.Both films put Brody in the role of a survivor of the Holocaust, and both of his characters were notable artists - Szpilman was a musician, while László Tóth was an architect. BothThe PianistandThe Brutalistalso share the common themes of human perseverance and passion, and they both examine the lingering effects of trauma.The Brutalistalmost serves as a kind of epilogue toThe Pianist, making the films a perfect pairing.
Adrien Brody is one of theactors who work with director Wes Anderson most frequently, and one of their best films together is available to stream on Hulu.InThe French Dispatch, Brody plays Julien Cadazio, an art dealer in the “Concrete Masterpiece” segment of the anthology film.The French Dispatchis one of the best examples of why Wes Anderson likes Adrien Brody so much: he has an exceptional talent for deadpan humor and delivering even the most ridiculous lines with true sincerity.
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Another reason to stream Adrien Brody inThe French Dispatchis because of his acting partners.Brody works tremendously well with both Benicio del Toro and Léa Seydoux, and the three create a truly riotous piece of comedy.The French Dispatchmay be a very different film fromThe Brutalist- both in its tone and in Brody’s role - but it’s one ofAdrien Brody’s best performances.
Adrien Brody played yet another creative-type character in 2005’sKing Kong, though the film is very different from bothThe BrutalistandThe Pianist.Brody plays screenwriter Jack Driscoll inKing Kong, who accompanied the expedition to Skull Island to write a movie about the titular massive gorilla.King Kongmay not be the most critically acclaimed or emotionally moving film, but it is an action-packed and enjoyable movie.King Kongis a sort of mid-point between the earlier adventure and horror ofJurassic Parkand the later massive fights and action of theGodzilla vs. Kongfranchise.
King Kong is a sort of mid-point between the earlier adventure and horror of Jurassic Park and the later massive fights and action of the Godzilla vs. Kong franchise.
King Kongis also a valuable part of Adrien Brody’s filmography because it proved he has the chops to be an action star. Plenty of Brody’s films have shown that he can dominate in moving and acclaimed dramas or dry humor comedies, butKing Kongis one of the few action movies he’s been in. If nothing else,King Kongis a chance to see Adrien Brody body-check a dinosaur, which is an incredible thing to see.
While Ana de Armas is the main star of the Marilyn Monroe biopicBlonde, Adrien Brody also lent his talents to the divisive drama.Brody plays playwright Arthur Miller, and though he only appears about halfway throughBlonde’s runtime, Brody managed to make his character memorable. Miller starts out disliking Monroe, but after having a conversation with her about his play,Magda, he marries her.Blondemay not be for everyone, but it’s nothing if not interesting.
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Blondealso serves as proof that even when he isn’t leading a drama, Adrien Brody can still command attention.Ana de Armas mostly stole the show for her performance as Norma Jeane, but Brody’s character helped bringBlonde’s third act home. He’s the perfect actor to reflect Norma Jeane’s spiral, andBlondewould have been even more divisive if Adrien Brody hadn’t been part of it.
The Thin Red Linewas the movie that put Adrien Brody on the map, and it’s clear to see why.Brody plays corporal Geoffrey Fife inThe Thin Red Line, and while it isn’t a starring role, it’s arguably the best supporting role Brody has ever taken. Fife is wide-eyed and scared for his biggest scene inThe Thin Red Line, but Brody’s acting transformed him from a minor character into a synopsis of the film’s commentary on the horrors of war.
For anyone looking for some of The Brutalist’s drama and some of Adrien Brody’s best acting, The Thin Red Line is the perfect movie to stream.
The Thin Red Linealso has a host of things to offer beyond Adrien Brody’s stellar performance.The Thin Red Lineis a harrowing look at the history and legacy of World War II and the Pacific Theater specifically. It also has plenty of important messages about the present day, however, and its messages are well worth listening to. For anyone looking for some ofThe Brutalist’s drama and some ofAdrien Brody’s best acting,The Thin Red Lineis the perfect movie to stream.
