cerebral
adj.adj. describing things that involve deep thinking and the brain rather than feelings or physical action. You use this for books, movies, or ideas that are very intellectual.
adj. relating to the intellect or the brain rather than to physical or emotional intuition. Often used to describe artistic or academic works that require significant mental effort to appreciate.
The movie is quite cerebral and requires your full attention.
While many action films rely on explosions, this thriller offers a more cerebral experience focused on psychological games.
Critics often contrast his early, visceral performances with the more cerebral and detached style he adopted later in his career, which some audiences found difficult to connect with emotionally.
Borrowing from French cérébral, from Latin cerebrum (“a brain”); equivalent to cerebrum + -al.
Semantic loan from Sanskrit मूर्धन्य (mūrdhanya, “pertaining to the head”).
Often follows a linking verb or precedes abstract nouns like 'approach', 'pursuit', or 'thriller'.