

Life of Brian
He's not the messiah...he's just a naughty boy.
Brian Cohen is an average young Jewish man, but through a series of ridiculous events, he gains a reputation as the Messiah. When he's not dodging his followers or being scolded by his shrill mother, the hapless Brian has to contend with the pompous Pontius Pilate and acronym-obsessed members of a separatist movement. Rife with Monty Python's signature absurdity, the tale finds Brian's life paralleling Biblical lore, albeit with many more laughs.
TMDB
7.8/10
5,147 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $4M
- Box office
- $20.8M
- Language
- English
- roman empire
- jewry
- three kings
- crucifixion
- bethlehem
- independence movement
- satire
- parody
- religion
- sermon on the mount
- anarchic comedy
- mother son relationship
Top billed cast
















Behind the camera
Director
Music
Produced in
United Kingdom
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Stream
Gallery












Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- TheatricalR17 Aug 1979
- PhysicalRWarner Home Video #2003 [VHS] 90 minutes1 Jan 1983
- PhysicalRParamount Pictures #12871 [VHS] 94 minutes1 Jan 1990
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical158 Nov 1979
- Theatrical12A40th-anniversary rerelease18 Apr 2019
AustraliaAU
- TheatricalM22 Nov 1979
BelgiumBE
- Theatrical5 Jun 1980
BrazilBR
- Theatrical1430 May 1980
- Physical16 Mar 2006
CzechiaCZ
- Theatrical (limited)15+Projekt 10022 Jan 1999
- Theatrical12+21 Mar 2024
- Theatrical12+2 Apr 2026
DenmarkDK
- Theatrical1125 Aug 1980
FinlandFI
- TheatricalK-166 Mar 1981
FranceFR
- TheatricalU8 Apr 1980
GermanyDE
- Theatrical1214 Aug 1980
GreeceGR
- Theatrical1315 Dec 1979
IrelandIE
- Theatrical1522 Jul 1988
Frequently asked questions
Life of Brian was released on 17 August 1979.
Audience reviews
3- D4/10
drystyx
4/3/2023
This isn't Monty Python's best. In fact, it's very ordinary humor for the most part. The story of another man living a life parallel to Jesus could have been much funnier than this. However, people who love "dry humor" may appreciate this one more. It isn't the slapstick humor that we usually get from Monty Python that leaves a person nearly dying of laughter. It's very low key humor. The only memorable scene is…
- F7/10
Filipe Manuel Neto
10/6/2023
**It's an excellent comic film, but much inferior to “The Holy Grail”.** There is consensus on the impact that Monty Python had on humor, and on the way comedy is seen and performed. After a bombastic television series and a highly successful first film, they decided to make this film which, in essence, is a satire on the great biblical epics of the past. In this film, we follow Brian, a man who was born a short d…
- M10/10
misubisu
11/5/2025
## **Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) Review: A Blasphemous, Brilliant, and Utterly Human 10/10** If *Holy Grail* was a shotgun blast of medieval absurdity, then *Life of Brian* is a precision laser guided by satirical genius. Arriving four years later amid a whirlwind of anticipation and pre-release outrage, this is not merely a follow-up; it is an evolution. It is the pinnacle of Monty Python's craft—a film s…
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