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First Reformed

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First Reformed
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPaul Schrader
Written byPaul Schrader
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAlexander Dynan
Edited byBenjamin Rodriguez Jr.
Music byLustmord
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • August 31, 2017 (2017-08-31) (Venice)
  • May 18, 2018 (2018-05-18) (United States)
Running time
114 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.5 million[2]
Box office$4 million[3]

First Reformed is a 2017 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Paul Schrader. It stars Ethan Hawke as a minister of a small congregation in upstate New York who grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns, and a tormented past. Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles, Victoria Hill, and Philip Ettinger appear in supporting roles.

The film had its world premiere at the 74th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States on May 18, 2018, by A24. It grossed $4 million worldwide and received positive reviews from critics, who mostly praised Hawke's performance and Schrader's direction and writing. Both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute selected First Reformed as one of the top ten films of 2018, and Schrader was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 91st Academy Awards for his work on the film. At the 24th Critics' Choice Awards, Hawke was nominated for Best Actor and Schrader won Best Original Screenplay, and, at the 34th Independent Spirit Awards, the film garnered nominations for Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, while Hawke won Best Male Lead.

Plot

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Reverend Ernst Toller of the First Reformed Church in Snowbridge, New York is writing down his thoughts in a journal for a year, after which he intends to destroy it. He leads a 250-year-old Dutch Reformed Church which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad; it faces dwindling attendance under Toller's leadership, which has taken the church in a new direction and away from its historical focus on Reformed theology and today it serves mostly as a tourist attraction. In trying to manage his own life issues, such as his alcoholism, Toller seeks a deeper experience through reading Roman Catholic writings (G.K. Chesterton and Thomas Merton) and mystical books (The Cloud of Unknowing). This new spiritual direction leads him to seek support from a nearby charismatic megachurch, Abundant Life, which owns First Reformed.

Toller, a former military chaplain, is also struggling with the death of his son Joseph, who was killed in the Iraq War; Toller had encouraged him to enlist. He meets Mary, who is seeking counseling for her radical-environmentalist husband, Michael. He further challenges Toller's beliefs: Michael explains that he wants Mary to get an abortion, because he does not want to bring a child into a world that will be rendered almost uninhabitable by climate change.

Mary finds a suicide vest belonging to her husband in their garage. Toller takes it, promising to counsel Michael about it. Mary and Toller discuss going to the police, but Toller feels it would dramatically worsen Michael's state. Just before their next appointment, Michael sends Toller a text message asking to meet in a local park. Toller arrives to find Michael dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound. In accordance with Michael's will and testament, a service is held at a local toxic-waste dump, where his ashes are scattered. Meanwhile, plans are underway to celebrate the sestercentennial of First Reformed with a service attended by the mayor, governor, and a notable industrialist, Edward Balq, a key financial backer of Abundant Life. At a meeting in a diner, Toller argues with Balq over climate change after Balq finds Toller honoring Michael's will a political act: Balq dismisses it as "complicated", but Toller sees it as a straightforward matter of Christian stewardship.

Experiencing various physical pains, Toller reluctantly sees a doctor, who suspects stomach cancer and schedules tests. Using Michael's laptop, which he took after his suicide to prevent the police discovering his radicalism and making trouble for Mary, Toller researches Michael's concerns further, including the materials which inspired him to make the explosive vest. One night, Mary visits Toller in the parsonage of the church, and he plays Michael's role in a nonsexual rite of physical intimacy that the couple used to perform.

Toller begs Mary not to attend the anniversary service. Preparing for his role in the ceremony, he puts on the explosive vest, and arms it. When he sees Mary entering for the ceremony, he removes the vest and instead wraps himself in barbed wire under his alb. Toller pours a glass full of drain cleaner and is about to drink it when Mary interrupts him. The two embrace, kissing passionately before the film abruptly cuts to black.

Cast

[edit]
  • Ethan Hawke as Reverend Ernst Toller of First Reformed, a tiny historic church, who is going through several personal crises
  • Amanda Seyfried as Mary Mensana, a pregnant parishioner at First Reformed
  • Cedric Kyles as Head Pastor Joel Jeffers of Abundant Life, an evangelical megachurch
  • Victoria Hill as Esther, a choir director at Abundant Life who is in love with Toller
  • Philip Ettinger as Michael Mensana, a radical environmentalist and anti-natalist struggling with the implications of his wife's pregnancy
  • Michael Gaston as Edward Balq, a local industrialist and financial supporter of Abundant Life
  • Bill Hoag as John Elder, the organist at First Reformed
  • Frank Rodriguez as the sheriff
  • Gary Lee Mahmoud as Toller's doctor
  • Sue Jean Kim as Ms. Suriya, who brings her young students to First Reformed on a field trip
  • Van Hansis as Roger, the leader of the Abundant Life youth group
  • Ramon Nuñez as Jason, the happy member of the Abundant Life youth group
  • Delano Montgomery as Jake, the conservative member of the Abundant Life youth group
  • Satchel Eden Bell as Cynthia, the member of the Abundant Life youth group concerned about her father

Production

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The restrained style of First Reformed recalls the films of Yasujiro Ozu, Robert Bresson, and Carl Theodor Dreyer that Schrader wrote about in his 1972 book Transcendental Style in Film.[4] Elements of the script allude to Bresson's Diary of a Country Priest (1951), Ingmar Bergman's Winter Light (1963), and the work of Dreyer,[5] as well as Schrader's own script for Taxi Driver (1976).[6] Schrader said that Paweł Pawlikowski's film Ida (2013) inspired him to shoot in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, saying it "drives the vertical lines, so you get more of the human body in the frame."[4] Before approaching Seyfried, Schrader discussed casting Michelle Williams in the role of Mary.[7]

Principal photography lasted 20 days, with a budget of $3.5 million.[2][8][9][10] The film was shot around Brooklyn and Queens, New York, including the building and grounds of the Zion Episcopal Church in Douglaston.[11]

Release

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First Reformed premiered in the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2017.[12][13] It was also screened at the 44th Telluride Film Festival on September 2, and at the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival on September 12.[14][15]

In September 2017, A24 acquired the film's North American distribution rights.[16][17][18] It was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on May 18, 2018,[19] and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2018.[20] The screenplay was published by Archway Editions on January 31, 2023, with an introduction by Masha Tupitsyn.[21]

Reception

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The screenplay and direction of Paul Schrader and the performance of Ethan Hawke garnered critical acclaim, with the former receiving his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Box office

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Its opening weekend, the film made $100,270 from four theaters, averaging $25,067 per screen—one of the best per-screen averages of Schrader's career.[22][23] By the end of its theatrical run, it had grossed $3,448,256 in the United States and Canada and $540,356 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $3,988,612.[3][24]

Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 254 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "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."[25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 86 out of 100, based on 48 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[26]

A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote: "First Reformed wrestles with contemporary reality, but it isn't a work of realism in the way that term is conventionally understood. The dialogue is delivered with formal, almost stiff cadences, and the images are crisp, graceful and plain."[27] Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times described the film as "a cinephile's delight and a believer's conundrum, an austere American art film with a bracing B-movie soul, and a story in which the cruelest of cosmic punchlines may finally be no different from the most beautiful accession of grace."[28] David Sims of The Atlantic called the film "a tale of existential woe [...] an embittered look at our world through the eyes of someone who’s increasingly horrified to be a part of it, and a film that’s one of the most searing cinema experiences of the year."[29] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said that "the sheer Bunyanesque severity of this film is as refreshing as a glass of ice-cold water", and called it "a passionately focused film but not a masterpiece", noting that the name of the lead character is an allusion to the German playwright Ernst Toller.[30] Michael Phillips of The Chicago Tribune stated that "for such a deliberate exercise in a specific, methodical style, First Reformed is oddly bracing, full of unresolved, contradictory, vital ideas."[31]

In July 2025, it was one of the films voted for the "Readers' Choice" edition of The New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century," finishing at number 122.[32] That same month, it ranked number 39 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century."[33]

Accolades

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Main article: List of accolades received by First Reformed

The film received nominations at the 34th Independent Spirit Awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, and Hawke won the award for Best Male Lead.[34][35] At the 24th Critics' Choice Awards, the film was nominated for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay, winning the latter.[36] Schrader and Hawke were awarded Best Screenplay and Best Actor, respectively, at the 28th Gotham Independent Film Awards.[37] Both the National Board of Review and American Film Institute listed First Reformed as one of the Top 10 Films of 2018, and the National Board of Review also gave Schrader their award for Best Original Screenplay.[38][39] Schrader's screenplay was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 91st Academy Awards,[40] marking the first Oscar nomination of his long filmmaking career.[41]

References

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  1. ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (June 7, 2018). "'First Reformed' starring Ethan Hawke secures international distribution deal (exclusive)". ScreenDaily. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Johnson, Ted (May 19, 2018). "PopPolitics: Paul Schrader on How 'First Reformed' Reflects His Own Despair Over Climate Crisis". Variety. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "First Reformed". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Prokopy, Steven (May 25, 2018). "Paul Schrader on Directing 'First Reformed'..." Slash Film. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  5. ^ Cortellessa, Eric (June 13, 2018). "Paul Schrader on First Reformed's Provocative Ending and Its Many Influences". Slate. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  6. ^ Haun, Harry (January 5, 2019). "From "Taxi Driver" to "First Reformed," an interview with Paul Schrader". America Magazine. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  7. ^ Schrader, Paul (May 21, 2018). "FIRST REFORMED Q&A with Paul Schrader & Ethan Hawke". YouTube. Angelika Film Center. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Kay, Jeremy (September 7, 2017). "Paul Schrader talks Toronto title 'First Reformed', 50 years in the making". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  9. ^ Nicholson, Amy (May 17, 2018). "'First Reformed': Paul Schrader on Faith, Hope and Returning to Form". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Utichi, Joe (January 4, 2019). "'First Reformed' Q&A: Paul Schrader Shocked He Wasn't Attacked As "Liberal Jihadist" After 'Last Temptation' Protests". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  11. ^ Soterakis, Alexis (June 9, 2018). "The Zion Church Strawberry Festival". Bayside Patch. Patch Media. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  12. ^ Anderson, Ariston (August 31, 2017). "Venice: Paul Schrader Predicts Post-Human Species Will Replace Human Race". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  13. ^ Debruge, Peter (September 3, 2017). "Paul Schrader Digs Into Explosive Themes of Venice Pic 'First Reformed'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  14. ^ Chang, Justin (September 10, 2017). "Toronto Diary: Festival highlights from 'First Reformed' to 'Lady Bird'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  15. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (September 12, 2017). "'First Reformed': Paul Schrader On His "Dark Night Of The Soul" Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  16. ^ Lee, Ashley (September 15, 2017). "Toronto: Ethan Hawke Thriller 'First Reformed' Goes to A24". Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  17. ^ Busch, Anita (September 15, 2017). "A24 Acquires U.S. Rights To Paul Schrader's 'First Reformed'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  18. ^ McNary, Dave (September 15, 2017). "Ethan Hawke-Amanda Seyfried Thriller 'First Reformed' Bought by A24 for U.S." Variety. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  19. ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 29, 2018). "'First Reformed' Trailer: Ethan Hawke & Amanda Seyfried In Paul Schrader's Crisis-Of-Faith Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  20. ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (June 7, 2018). "'First Reformed' starring Ethan Hawke secures international distribution deal". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  21. ^ Schrader, Paul (January 31, 2023). First Reformed. Archway Editions. ISBN 9781576879740 – via Simon & Schuster.
  22. ^ Brooks, Brian (May 20, 2018). "'First Reformed' Nabs Top Spot; 'Pope Francis' Mixed: Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  23. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (May 20, 2018). "Paul Schrader's 'First Reformed' Is a Hit, and the '2001' Reissue Finds New Box-Office Life". IndieWire. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  24. ^ "First Reformed". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  25. ^ "First Reformed". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  26. ^ "First Reformed". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  27. ^ Scott, A. O. (May 17, 2018). "Review: 'First Reformed' Is an Epiphany. Ethan Hawke Is, Too". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  28. ^ Chang, Justin (May 17, 2018). "Review: The bracing 'First Reformed,' starring a superb Ethan Hawke, resurrects Paul Schrader's career". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  29. ^ Sims, David (May 18, 2018). "The Bracing, Grim Power of First Reformed". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  30. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (July 12, 2018). "First Reformed review – Ethan Hawke faces Paul Schrader's spiritual apocalypse – Peter Bradshaw's film of the week". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  31. ^ Phillips, Michael (May 24, 2018). "'First Reformed' review: Ethan Hawke's bracing dark night of the soul". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  32. ^ "Readers Choose Their Top Movies of the 21st Century". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  33. ^ "100 Best Movies of the 21st Century". July 1, 2025.
  34. ^ "These Are Your 2019 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominees!". Film Independent. November 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  35. ^ ETHAN HAWKE wins Best Male Lead for FIRST REFORMED at the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards on official YouTube channel
  36. ^ "Best Adapted Screenplay - Critics' Choice Awards: 'Roma,' 'Americans,' 'Mrs. Maisel' Top Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. January 13, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  37. ^ "'Marriage Story' Sweeps Gotham Awards; Full Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. December 2, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  38. ^ Sharf, Zack (November 27, 2018). "National Board of Review 2018 Winners: 'Green Book' Named Best Film, Lady Gaga Best Actress". IndieWire. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  39. ^ "AFI AWARDS 2018". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  40. ^ "The 91st Academy Awards | 2019". www.oscars.org. April 15, 2019.
  41. ^ "Oscar Nominations 2019: See Full List of Nominees". Retrieved July 17, 2020.
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