--- title: "Life of Brian: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/life-of-brian/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/life-of-brian" critics_score: 85 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Life of Brian (1979): what the critics said Critics' score 85 from 11 reviews: 11 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The consensus on Life of Brian is firmly positive: all eleven reviews praise its comedy, with particular agreement on the troupe’s performances, the variety of the gags and the satire of dogma and human foolishness. Most critics find its irreverence good-natured, even when its targets are religious mania, false piety or political squabbling. Praise also extends to the production values and comic structure, while Eye for Film singles out Graham Chapman’s lead performance and stronger characterisation as reasons the story works beyond its individual jokes. The differences concern emphasis as much as quality: some critics stress the attack on religious behaviour, while others see a cheerful parody of Biblical films. The responses range from enthusiastic to warmly qualified, with no outright dissent. The New Yorker finds the sustained chase stretched compared with the troupe’s sketch work, while /Film notes flaws and elements that have aged awkwardly. ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 5/5. 21 September 2024. The messianic satire remains as irreverent and topical as ever, with its quotable intelligence and humor still sharply relevant decades later. Religious mania and petty dogma are singled out as targets that have lost none of their bite. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/monty-pythons-life-of-brian) ## Empire Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2013. The critic hails it as a stylistically eclectic comic masterpiece, praising the variety, quality, and structure of its gags along with its sharp comedy swearing. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/monty-python-life-brian-review/) ## Sight and Sound — Clyde Jeavons Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The Pythons deliver brilliant gags and robust production values in their satirical riff on the life of Christ and religious faith. The climactic scenes stand out as among the most memorable and tasteless ever devised by the troupe. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/fb7c3b1c-0fbf-5377-84f1-455e98df7966/monty-pythons-life-of-brian) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 April 2019. The critic calls it the Pythons’ masterpiece and an amazing achievement, a consistent and ambitious film that stands up decades later as a satire of the life of Jesus and a hymn to tolerance. He singles out its spectacular ending with the crucifixion scene and the jaunty song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life for praise, along with classic set pieces like the stoning scene and the Latin grammar argument. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/12/monty-pythons-life-of-brian-review) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 August 1979. The review hails the film as a deliriously offensive and best-humored Biblical epic that sends up false piety and classic religious films with nonstop comic energy. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1979/08/17/archives/film-monty-pythons-life-of-briangospel-of-lunacy.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 1979. The critic finds the film cheerfully inoffensive and more about movies than religion, praising its irreverence and the Python troupe's good cheer in sending up Biblical epics. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/life-of-brian-1979) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Robert Osborne Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 August 1979. The critic describes the film as a wacky, good-natured satire with a whimsical and friendly air rather than a sacrilegious one. The ensemble cast's outrageous fun in multiple roles and the troupe's skill at highlighting human failings through humor are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/life-brian-review-1979-movie-1030493/) ## The New Yorker — Veronica Geng Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 1979. The critic praises the troupe's comic performances and irreverent Biblical parody but finds the sustained chase structure somewhat oversustained compared to their sketch work. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1979/08/27/premises) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Rating 4.5/5. 17 March 2009. The critic praises the film's stronger characterisation and Graham Chapman's lead performance, which allow it to move beyond satire into a story with its own power and sharp points about religion. The review highlights the film's enormous humour alongside its bravely downbeat ending. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/life-of-brian-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Den of Geek — Mark Harrison Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 April 2019. The critic calls Life of Brian a quintessential Easter comedy that holds up exceptionally well on its 40th anniversary re-release. They single out its sharp political satire and the iconic closing song for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/monty-pythons-life-of-brian-at-40/) ## /Film Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). In a ranking of Monty Python films, Life of Brian is placed second and described as the troupe's most controversial work that still feels daring, with a perfect ironic ending that encapsulates human existence, though it notes some flaws and awkward aging. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1380040/monty-python-movies-ranked/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/life-of-brian.md