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.
Life of Brian (1979) is a comedy film directed by Terry Jones, released on August 17, 1979 with a runtime of 1h 34m. It stars Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam and Eric Idle. Viewers rate it 7.8 out of 10 across 5,083 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Life of Brian before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Life of Brian.
Trailer
Trailer
Featurette
Featurette
Graham Chapman
as Wise Man #2 / Brian Cohen / Biggus Dickus
John Cleese
as Wise Man #1 / Reg / Jewish Official / First Centurion / Deadly Dirk / Arthur
Terry Gilliam
as Man Even Further Forward / Revolutionary / Jailer / Blood and Thunder Prophet / Frank / Audience Member / Crucifee
Eric Idle
as Mr. Cheeky / Stan 'Loretta' / Harry the Haggler / Culprit Woman / Warris / Intensely Dull Youth / Jailer's Assistant / Otto / Lead Singer Crucifee
Terry Jones
as Mandy Cohen / Colin / Simon the Holy Man / Bob Hoskins / Saintly Passer-by / Alarmed Crucifixion Assistant
Michael Palin
as Wise Man #3 / Mr. Big Nose / Francis / Mrs. A / Ex-Leper / Announcer / Ben / Pontius Pilate / Boring Prophet / Eddie / Shoe Follower / Nisus Wettus
Terence Bayler
as Gregory
Carol Cleveland
as Mrs. Gregory
Kenneth Colley
as Jesus
Neil Innes
as A Weedy Samaritan
Charles McKeown
as False Prophet / Blind Man / Giggling Guard / Stig
John Young
as Matthias, Son of Deuteronomy of Gath
Directed by Terry Jones, written by Graham Chapman, Eric Idle and John Cleese, produced by John Goldstone.
Average viewer score of 7.8/10 from 5,083 ratings.
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…
Reviewed on April 3, 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…
Reviewed on October 6, 2023
## **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 so…
Reviewed on November 5, 2025
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Life of Brian (1979) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus and Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Life of Brian (1979) includes Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Terry Jones. The film was directed by Terry Jones. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Life of Brian was released on August 17, 1979 and runs for 1h 34m.
Life of Brian (1979) holds an average rating of 7.8 out of 10 from 5,083 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy comedy films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Life of Brian trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
