The invention discloses a hydraulic brake circuit and a brake method. The hydraulic brake circuit comprises a motor, an energy accumulator, a front pump/motor, a rear pump/motor, a front pilot operated check valve, a rear pilot operated check valve and an electromagnetic reversing valve. On one hand, the motor is sequentially connected with the front pump/motor, the front pilot operated check valve and the energy accumulator, and on the other hand, the motor is sequentially connected with the rear pump/motor, the rear pilot operated check valve and a wellhead hydraulic cylinder. The electromagnetic reversing valve, the front pump/motor and the rear pump/motor are connected with an oil tank. The energy accumulator, the front pilot operated check valve and the rear pilot operated check valve are connected with the electromagnetic reversing valve. By the adoption of the hydraulic brake circuit, through the electromagnetic reversing valve and by the utilization of high-pressure loop fluid of the energy accumulator, the work states of the pilot operated check valves are controlled. The two pilot operated check valves are adopted to act synchronously, a hydraulic loop of the wellhead hydraulic cylinder and a hydraulic loop of the energy accumulator are closed and opened, and a wellhead hydraulic cylinder plunger can start and stop in any position.