The Boys From Brazil

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The Boys From Brazil

R

1978

2h 3m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Dr. Josef Mengele (Gregory Peck) clones Hitler 95 times, and hopes to raise the resulting boys in Brazil, giving them childhoods identical to Hitler's. His ultimate plan is to create a band of Nazi leaders that can continue where Hitler left off, forming the Fourth Reich. Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier), a Nazi hunter, learns of the plan and is determined to thwart it. When the two meet face-to-face in the home of one of the Hitler clones, it is up to the boy to choose who he will assist.

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Critics Consensus

Its story takes some dubious turns, but a high-caliber cast and a gripping pace fashion The Boys from Brazil into an effective thriller.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

This picture is another of [producer] Lew Grade's international blockbuster packages; the deals are worked out in terms of story elements that will sell and of performers with followings in as many markets as possible.

May 28, 2019

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

An impressive feat of carefully designed and modulated academic filmmaking, a class job in the tradition of Hitchcock or Wyler at their most polished.

Apr 30, 2018

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Ian Nathan

Empire Magazine

Dark thriller that does its best but ultimately doesn't completely convince.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 27, 2009

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The polished direction by Franklin J. Schaffner and the presence of a strong supporting roster (even Steve Guttenberg isn’t bad) lend stature to the farfetched proceedings.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 29, 2024

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…a rattling good pot-boiler, with a daft sci-fi story disguising serious undertones…in 2024, the idea of clones in the image of the world’s worst mass murderer seems like a prescient one metaphorically rather than literally…

Rated: 3/5

May 26, 2024

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Augusto Martínez Torres

El Pais (Spain)

In an excess of ambition, this imaginative story tries to address too many things at once.

Aug 8, 2019

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom, não tem porra não de brasil nesse filme.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/15/25

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Claudio C

The Boys from Brazil (1978) Nazi Hunters (11,880 – 04 Aug 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) I“The Boys from Brazil” (1978) is still a good thriller from the late 70’s. The plot about Bazi hunters was very common with the end of World War II, and “The Boys from Brazil” has a story with mystery and suspense. This film has a great cast, with the names of Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier in the lead roles. The fictional story is ahead of time in the aspect of clones, who is now an unethical scientific reality. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): “Os Meninos do Brasil” (“The Boys from Brazil”) My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/06/25

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This Old G

Used to have this movie on CED disc. Watched it many times. It's campy, preposterous and the director tries to be Alfred Hitchcock. Gregory Peck gives a very hammy performance, the movie however is saved by Sir Lawrence Olivier and a great climax.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/22/25

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Chip C

Great performance by Gregory Peck. He does well as the villian.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/23/24

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Andrew N

Dull script, surprisingly banal performances from Peck and Olivier…Mengele as a character choice was cliched (why choose someone so notorious?). Stopped watching after a half hour. Just comes across as very dated.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/08/23

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ed m

Decent thriller. Great cast.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/02/23

Full Review

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Franklin J. Schaffner

Director

Gregory Peck

Dr. Josef Mengele

Laurence Olivier

Ezra Lieberman

James Mason

Eduard Seibert

Lilli Palmer

Esther Lieberman

Uta Hagen

Frieda Maloney

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Synopsis

Dr. Josef Mengele (Gregory Peck) clones Hitler 95 times, and hopes to raise the resulting boys in Brazil, giving them childhoods identical to Hitler's. His ultimate plan is to create a band of Nazi leaders that can continue where Hitler left off, forming the Fourth Reich. Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier), a Nazi hunter, learns of the plan and is determined to thwart it. When the two meet face-to-face in the home of one of the Hitler clones, it is up to the boy to choose who he will assist.

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Producer: Stanley O'Toole, Martin Richards
Screenwriter: Heywood Gould
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Producers Circle, Sir Lew Grade, ITC Films
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 5, 1978, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Runtime: 2h 3m

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