First Reformed

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2:20

First Reformed

R

2018

1h 53m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

255 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

The pastor of a small church in upstate New York spirals out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife.

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Critics Consensus

Brought to life by delicate work from writer-director Paul Schrader and elevated by a standout performance by Ethan Hawke, First Reformed takes a sensitive and suspenseful look at weighty themes.

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Chris Nashawaty

Entertainment Weekly

12/26/2018

B

First Reformed is a bleak, punishing movie and the furthest thing imaginable from an easy crowdpleaser. But Hawke juices it with an austere sense of grace.

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David Stratton

The Australian

11/09/2018

4/5

The film is a cry of rage against the polluters and corrupters who, Schrader contends, are destroying the planet, as well as against the commercialisation of the churches and the growth of terrorism.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

08/28/2018

They are weird moments of almost hypnotic transcendence, but at the center of it is that tortured God's lonely man character perfectly embodied by Ethan Hawke.

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JD Duran

InSession Film

08/07/2024

Amplified by a career performance in Ethan Hawke, it’s a fascinating film about a man who struggles to maintain his faith as he sees the world around him crumble to pieces.

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Diana Tuova

Spotlight on Film

07/30/2024

5/5

Deep, thought-provoking and resolute, First Reformed grapples interestingly with the questions of faith and morality, and, by the end, becomes both a subdued and quiet meditation on life and internal despair, and an explosively powerful statement on hope.

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Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

06/24/2024

10/10

First Reformed is the distillation of the scream inside us all—or at least those of us paying attention.

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Rich L.

@Richard810 Jan 28

Didn’t understand the movie but Ethan was amazing!

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Alana S

@Aloha.alani Jan 1

This movie was not what I expected at all. First Reformed is extremely dark, with a heavy focus on suicide and despair that no one seems to properly warn viewers about. It felt relentlessly depressing with little payoff or relief. Instead of being thought-provoking, it was just miserable to sit through. I would not recommend it.

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Suzana Q

@Suzana8 Dec 25

There is one glaring contradiction in this movie that made the plot utterly meaningless. Some may categorize this as "part of the human condition", but at this point it’s just colossal self-ignorance. A lack of self-awareness and self-regard is the root of the main character’s problems and humanity’s collective issues. In this story, we have a man who has devoted himself to the cause of "protecting God’s creations"- specifically the Earth- while he abuses himself through self-hatred, self-flagellation, and a diet of whiskey and Pepto Bismol. He does not actually care about the earth’s creations because he does not care about himself-one of God’s creations. The obviousness of this is rudimentary. He’s a microcosmic explanation of why humanity is in its current situation-but, instead of this truth being explored or even considered, we see a pointless ending make out scene. Well-acted, but the message is blind and shallow.

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Henrik E

@versior Dec 4

It's climate propaganda. No, thanks.

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Katie M

@Katiemazz Nov 8

Such a waste of time. Don’t bother watching seriously made no sense.

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Henry M.

@Henrythefifth Nov 7

Timely and important examination of faith in a world that persists in punishing and disappointing us, but promises us meaning in social and political causes. Cedric the Entertainer and Amanda Seyfried convincingly portray those who make peace with the world while Ethan Hawke perfectly represents the justifiable pain of the conflicted faithful. Not since Mass has a movie offered something profound for believers wanting a challenge.

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Paul Schrader

Director

Ethan Hawke

Reverend Ernst Toller

Amanda Seyfried

Mary

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Reverend Joel Jeffers

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First Reformed: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The pastor of a small church in upstate New York spirals out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife.

Director: Paul Schrader
Producer: Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Frank Murray, Jack Binder, Greg Clark, Victoria Hill, Gary Hamilton, Deepak Sikka
Screenwriter: Paul Schrader
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Killer Films, Fibonacci Films, Omeira Studio Partners
Rating: R (Some Disturbing Violent Images)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 18, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 31, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.4M
Runtime: 1h 53m

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