Life of Brian
A hapless Judean revolutionary is mistaken for a prophet in Monty Python’s irreverent, relentlessly absurd parody of biblical epics and political zealotry.
Overview
A satirical journey through the absurdities of faith and politics in ancient Judea.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- irreverent
- witty
- absurdist
- comedy night
- group viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an exceptionally funny and sustained religious parody, praising its irreverence and comic accumulation while noting occasional crude or uneven routines.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film targets biblical spectacle, messianic expectations, organized religion, and competing interpretations of faith with broadly distributed irreverence.
Brian becomes a prophet and attracts followers despite pursuing political resistance rather than seeking religious authority.
Brian is born near Jesus and repeatedly benefits from confusion between his life and the story of a messiah.
Brian joins an ineffective anti-Roman movement whose competing factions turn political resistance into comic bureaucratic absurdity.
Films like Life of Brian, and why
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
British ensemble parody, irreverent historical comedy, and absurdist satire of grand cultural institutions
Dogma
Religious satire, comic blasphemy, and escalating farcical misunderstandings surrounding sacred material
The Ten Commandments
Biblical parody, irreverent ensemble humor, and comic treatment of religious authority
Movie Details
- Director
- Terry Jones
- Release Date
- 1979-08-17
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (5123)
Cast
- Graham Chapman
- John Cleese
- Terry Gilliam
- Eric Idle
- Terry Jones
- Michael Palin
- Terence Bayler
- Carol Cleveland
- Kenneth Colley
- Neil Innes
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Life of Brian about?
- A hapless Judean revolutionary is mistaken for a prophet in Monty Python’s irreverent, relentlessly absurd parody of biblical epics and political zealotry.
- What is Life of Brian like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Life of Brian as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Life of Brian violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Life of Brian as moderate.
- What did critics think of Life of Brian?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an exceptionally funny and sustained religious parody, praising its irreverence and comic accumulation while noting occasional crude or uneven routines.
- Which films are like Life of Brian?
- Films with a similar feel include Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Dogma, and The Ten Commandments.
- How long is Life of Brian?
- Life of Brian runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Life of Brian?
- In United States, Life of Brian streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
