User reviews

Paul Schrader's new drama "First Reformed" is a drama about a grieving reverend who is counseling a couple--the husband of which is a radical environmentalist. This is a talky, dialogue- driven, and unsettling thriller that makes you both empathize with its characters as well as send a chill down your spine at times.

The film's deeply intellectual and serious commentary on matters of religion and environmentalism is profound and thoughtful. This movie will likely not be suited for mainstream audiences desiring cheap entertainment, but serious viewers looking to be challenged in their thought processes will have much material to ponder during--and after--they view the movie. The acting is very strong, as Schrader commands his cast into giving low-key but quietly powerful and resonant performances. The standouts in the cast are Ethan Hawke's lead role as well as Amanda Seyfried and Cedric the Entertainer in the supporting cast. A gripping, dark (almost relentlessly so at times) tone keeps the viewer engrossed in the film. While this isn't a horror film (despite containing disturbing content and moments,) the film's simple score is incredibly chilling and gets under one's skin more than almost any other film's score I have witnessed in a long time.

My only complaints about this film are found in the third act. A dreamlike, surrealistic scene inspired by impressionism that involves the protagonist and Seyfried's character feels out of place given the grim tone deeply rooted in realism. Additionally, a quick and highly abrupt cut in the film's finale feels disappointing and almost like the equivalent of a 'cop-out' in film editing. It did not positively impact how I viewed the film's ending. But other than these concerns, this is a very well-made and serious drama designed to quietly shock audiences into a state of reflection on the world today as we know it. 8/10

Some objectively good movies also make you feel good while watching them. Others crush you with weighty material, penetrating emotions and powerhouse performances. 'First Reformed' falls into the second category.

Legendary writer-director Paul Schrader returns to his past glorious form with this film. Some 40 years after writing 'Taxi Driver', he unleashes another portrait of a man experiencing a deep existential crisis as he sinks further into despair because of what he perceives to be a failing humanity.

Our new Travis Bickle is Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke, in an Oscar-worthy performance). Toller runs a small church in New York state called First Reformed, which has a dwindling congregation of merely a dozen. Nearby, First Reformed's parent church, which has a following of thousands, is headed by Reverend Jeffers (Cedric the Entertainer). Toller and Jeffers clash over their ways to best perform the Lord's work. Toller rejects all physical possessions and scoffs at the financial success of the parent church, while Jeffers futilely attempts to convince Toller that wealth and religious commitment are not mutually exclusive.

Toller is not a well man. He struggles to take joy in any aspect of life. His past haunts him, as do the present failures of humanity. His despair becomes increasingly clear with each passing day that he writes in his diary, which was intended to be a form of prayer and offer clarity but instead only serves as a vehicle for him to psychologically self-punish. As his mental health suffers, so does his physical state. He's sick, probably dying, but he guzzles hard liquor daily despite the stomach pain it causes. Perhaps this too is self-punishment.

As Toller struggles to find a purpose for his remaining time on Earth, one appears before him when a pregnant parishioner, Mary (a career-best Amanda Seyfried), asks him to counsel her suicidal husband. Toller agrees, but the conversations don't lead to any relief for either party. Toller believes he finds a purpose, but anyone of sound mind would hardly consider it a Godly cause.

This all builds to a climactic scene that will leave some viewers in breathless awe and others in maddening disbelief. I took the final moments as a welcome relief after a punishing first 105 minutes, but some may see the abrupt pivot in tone as off putting. In any case, it's certainly spiritual trip and one that will stick with you long after the credits roll.

Most reviews I've seen of First Reformed have praised it as Paul Schrader's best work since either Taxi Driver (1976) or Raging Bull (1980). And whilst I think that's an oversimplification, unjustly ignoring such strong screenplays as The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and Bringing Out the Dead (1999), and very unjustly ignoring such superb directorial work as Affliction (1997) and Auto Focus (2002), there can be little doubt that First Reformed is easily his best film of the last fifteen years or so (which wouldn't be hard when you consider films like The Canyons (2013), Dying of the Light (2014), and Dog Eat Dog (2016)).

The film tells a deceptively simple story - Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is the parish priest of a small congregation in the Snowbridge suburb of New York. A former military chaplain, Toller is struggling with the death of his son, Joseph, who he encouraged to enlist, and who was killed several months into his first tour in Iraq. As a result, Toller's marriage fell apart, which his wife blaming him for Joseph's death. As the film begins, Toller's spiritual crisis is already well under way. He's drinking too much, doesn't show much interest in his official duties, doesn't seem bothered that his congregation has dwindled to about ten people, and has taken to recording his thoughts in a journal which he plans to keep for one year, and then destroy. After Sunday mass, Toller is approached by Mary (Amanda Seyfried), one of his parishioners, who is worried about her husband, Michael (Philip Ettinger). A radical environmentalist who has just been released from prison in Canada, Michael has developed extreme nihilistic views, and wants Mary to abort their unborn child because he doesn't think anyone has the right to bring a child into a dying world. Although initially reluctant to get involved, Mary persuades Toller to counsel Michael. Meanwhile, the 250th anniversary of the First Reformed church from which Toller works is fast approaching, with a huge service to be attended by both the governor and mayor.

The above plot summary takes up roughly the first twenty minutes or so of the film, almost up to the end of the first act. At that point, it looks as if the narrative is heading in the direction of following Toller as he sets about changing Michael's extreme worldview. But that's not where it goes at all, instead focusing almost exclusively on the disintegration of Toller's faith, and the development of his own nihilistic outlook. Along the way, it introduces us to three main supporting characters - Reverend Joel Jeffers (Cedric The Entertainer) of Abundant Life, the megachurch that owns First Reformed, and who gave Toller his job; Esther (Victoria Hill), choirmaster at First Reformed, who had a brief sexual relationship with Toller after his marriage ended; and Edward Balq (Michael Gaston), an industrialist whose company is regarded as one of the worst polluters on the planet. As Toller wrestles with his conscience, he comes into conflict with all three in various ways. At the same time, Mary remains virtually the only remnant of hope in his life, as they continue to grow close.

The most striking thing to me about First Reformed is that it is brilliantly shot in Academy ratio (1.37:1), and as a result, everything is boxed in, suggesting little room for movement, with very little empty space in the frame. Coupled with this, Schrader is remarkably consistent in composing perfectly symmetrical shots (the opening scene is a good example). Together, the small frame and the symmetrical compositions give one the impression of looking at a confessional, with the priest on one side and the confessor on the other. As Toller's journal entries occur throughout the film in the form of voiceover, this aesthetic replication of a confessional is enhanced even further - although Toller is not the priest hearing the confession, he is the one confessing.

In line with this, First Reformed is not an easy film to watch. It's central themes are suffering, loss of faith, nihilism, and environmental catastrophe, and the way the film is shot, with the added intimacy of the journal, make it seems as if the audience is suffering right alongside Toller; we're drawn completely into his world, and even his mind, in a way very few films achieve. Schrader allows the content to brilliantly dictate the form, with the two becoming so intertwined as to be virtually indistinguishable from one another - a concept most filmmakers don't seem to even understand, let alone have the ability to accomplish. Interestingly this is the second film in the last twelve months to use Academy ratio for explicit narrative reasons, the other being David Lowery's superb A Ghost Story (2017).

Of course, Schrader is as cine-literate as they come, and doesn't make films in isolation (for example, there are at least three explicit visual references to Taxi Driver), and looking at First Reformed in relation to his career would require a full article-length study to itself. However, the film in his oeuvre of which I was most reminded was, strangely enough, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005), which is not especially good, but which does share many of the same narrative beats and thematic concerns - a lost priest whose experiences of the darker side of humanity has led to him questioning his faith; a crisis of conscience; a righteous cause to which he totally gives himself over; an indifferent God watching everything unfold; an unimaginable sacrifice; hope offered in the form of an innocent. First Reformed is a lot better, and a lot more morally complex, but there's certainly a thematic consistency.

However, that is not to say First Reformed is perfect. There are parts where it is extraordinarily clunky. For example, there's the wake where a group of environmentalists start singing an awful cappella version of Neil Young's activist song, "Who's Gonna Stand up?", or the scene where Mary and Toller take (figurative) flight through the power of holding hands (in a scene that reminded me of The Big Lebowski (1998) far more than I would imagine was intended, and got quite a few laughs at the screening I attended).

Additionally, although I've seen many reviews talking about how thought-provoking the environmentalist side of the story is, for me it never really coalesced into anything inherently coherent. Obviously, Toller is a man ready to fall apart when the movie begins, and Michael's concerns about the future of the planet serve as the catalyst for that. However, rather than the film presenting this as nothing more than the backdrop against which Toller's crisis takes place, and thus purposely rendering it unimportant in and of itself, Schrader seems to be trying to genuinely shoehorn in a call-to-action. Which is fairly out of place. And, to be honest, the photograph of the emaciated polar bear is far more disturbing and resonant than any of the facts and figures the film occasionally tosses out.

I'm also not 100% convinced the black comedy worked. There aren't that many instances of it, but when they come, they are so black as to be easily missed. Probably the best example is when Toller is showing a group of children around First Reformed, and telling them how it was a stop on the Underground Railroad, showing them a secret basement in which the runaway slaves would hide. However, instead of simply giving them a quick history lesson, he ends up staring into the basement and giving a graphic description of what it must have been like hiding in the dark, scared and tired, with no room to move. There's a few moments like this, but I didn't think they really sat well with the ultra-realism on display elsewhere.

But they're minor faults, and all things considered, this is a high-quality film. Will it be in contention come awards season? Possibly. Schrader has always had a fraught relationship with the Academy (hard to believe he's never even been nominated for an Oscar), but this is the kind of serious subject matter that voters usually lap up. I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see Hawke get some acting nods, possibly Seyfried too. Irrespective of that (and we all know the amount of Oscar nominations a film gets has very little to do with its quality), this is a strong film made by a skilled artist about a subject matter for which he clearly feels deeply.

I never expected to be so moved by "First Reformed", a small indie that tackles large themes such as climate change, mental health, and faith rather ferociously. Though it is a bit of a slow-burn at the start, it's impossible not to be drawn in by Ethan Hawke's magnetizing performance. He is masterful as Ernst Toller, a pastor who begins to unravel after an encounter a husband and wife who are environmental activists. The second half of the film is particularly strong, as Toller's polite and unassuming facade begins to crack, and writer/director Paul Schrader makes some daring filmmaking choices that add to the unpredictability of the film as it heads toward the climax. Though the ending has been controversial among audiences, I thought it was an incredibly bold, beautifully executed choice, and the final few minutes of the film have been seared into my mind. Regardless of how you respond to the ending, there is no doubt that this is a thought-provoking and important piece of art. A must-see.

My Rating : 7/10

If you like the great filmmakers of the black and white era such as Bresson and Bergman you will enjoy 'First Reformed' as you can see direct influences from Diary of a Country Priest and Winter Light here.

Made for the 2018 audience, it's a dark character study similar to what Schrader's done in Taxi Driver before. I enjoyed it for what it is and the overall slow-burning narrative.

First Reformed is a movie about religion. It is about big business and the environmental destruction of which they are to blame. It is about a willingness of the Church to turn a blind eye in the face of sin. It is about love. It is about hope. But these subjects fall away as Paul Schrader tightens his focus onto a detached pastor. An unnerving and bleak look into the despair that can envelope the most faithful or the most hopeful, Ethan Hawke's brutally honest presentation of an unsure and resentful man along with foreboding gray scaled cinematography leaves the audience asking: But what of man? What of this broken man in particular? Why does man fear their own destruction so greatly that they are willing to end their life before that destruction could take them? Paul Schrader's newest film may be shrouded in politics, religion, or the philosophy of love, faith, or hope, but behind the obvious horror lies the subconscious dread. Not the existential dread of living in an imperfect and devastating world, but the fear of how oneself will react to the overwhelming despair of a reality with little hope.

One not to miss. The priest personifies the world's intense conflicts between the unstoppable forces of destruction (our planet, our relationships, the consequences of the Iraq war, the brutality of corporate polluters, slavery, churches more attuned to materialism than spirituality) and the receding forces of gentleness, compassion, prayers. This isn't a religious movie, though profoundly spiritual. It reminded me of Dostoyevsky, Camus and the anguish of existing in a universe so corrupted that even the thought of bringing a child seems like a sin to his father. Both Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried are amazing to watch. And my admiration to Paul Schrader..

On one hand, its beautifully acted, well written, has stunning cinematography, and, at times, makes me want to be a better person BUT this movie is completely devoid of happiness. I felt like crap the entire time I watched it. Perhaps that was its intent.

I watched the entire move so I must have liked it a little.

Apparently, I am the oldest person commenting on this extraordinary film to recognize that the plot, characters, and pacing can all be traced back to Ingmar Bergman's Winterlight, Yes, Paul Schrader has created a great new original film but we must recognize its sources and failure to do so leaves us withering. You will not have to see Ingmar Bergman's original to appreciate this film, but the fact that so much comes from that film makes it weird to me that no one has recognized it so far. Beautifully executed, gorgeously shot and accomplished acting all contribute to the effectiveness of this film. It may seem a little shallow to some, but it is very worthwhile.

'First Reformed' is an extremely challenging film. Maybe the most challenging that I've seen. I expected nothing less from Paul Schrader, though, as he's written and directed a lot of challenging stuff over the years. It's slow, methodical and exacting. It asks important questions but does not give any easy answers (or answers in general for that matter)...

Ethan Hawke's performance at the epicenter of this film really is a towering achievement. It's the kind of performance that will do down as not only one of the best of the year, but this will be remembered (most likely) as his career best. Ernst Toller is a man struggling internally with immense pain and turmoil. The loss of his only child has caused his marriage to fall apart so he has since turned to the Lord for whatever form of relief he can find. Nothing will ever take away that pain, but he's at least been able to somewhat cope with it over the years...though he has never really found true peace or happiness and has since turned to the bottle (like most men seem to) for solace. He writes in a journal every day as a form of self prayer or maybe just a way to put his ruinous thoughts down on paper instead of keeping them bottled up where they could potentially do more harm. A meeting with a local man one day where a multitude of different end-of-the-world topics are discussed ends up leading the Reverend down a rabbit-hole of immense consequences. All of which cause Toller to question his commitment to God and the Church. He's the pastor of a small local church that are all but extinct now and every city is being overrun with these massive churches. Faith has become a spectacle run by mostly phonies who only care about the bottom-line instead of the people and the close-knit community - another thing that frustrates him. Ethan Hawke is able to quietly walk this emotional tightrope the entire film and never allows him to fall into any histrionics. Amanda Seyfried takes on the important role of Mary (one of only 2 main female roles) and she delivers her best performance as well. Mary becomes a integral part of the Reverend's life as they're able to help each other through these difficult times...although it can be kinda hard to see what ways she really helps him. Cedric "The Entertainer" Kyles also shows up along the way as the pastor of the big conglomerate church who, despite good intentions, is probably doing more harm than good.

I feel like it really demands to be seen whether you're a person of faith or not. This is definitely not your typical Christian film and that's probably gonna upset a lot of people, but this one (and Schrader) have more lofty ideas and weighty themes on their mind. This is a very dense screenplay which leads to a heavy film that expects a lot from the audience. Paul Schrader isn't letting anyone off the hook easily here...he's being patient and letting the film open up at its own pace. This is also the kind of film that doesn't divulge all of its secrets in one sitting...it expects you to come back to it and soak it all in over multiple viewings - which with a film of this ilk you should probably do anyway.

Paul Schrader and company have created something wholly unique and special with 'First Reformed' and I think it's definitely something to be valued. So if you're in the mood for something a little different and don't mind your movies making you think, then please give it a chance!

Like the lead character in this masterpiece, many of us are tired of the uneducated, artless, soulless people of today pretending they are superior as they fail to engage with any semblance of decency with anyone who doesn't tow their line. That's what this movie is about. And how love is still able to save us. But first, we must call a spade a spade. Impeach the evil trolls within our culture. And deeply shame the nation of idiots who bash movies like this because they are too stupid to know better.

I watched "A Quiet Place" and thought it was pretty satisfyingly scary. Then I watched "Hereditary" and was suitably creeped out. Then I watched "First Reformed" and was scared out of my pants.

Who knew that "First Reformed" would end up being the best horror movie of the year? Director Paul Schrader, who scripted the original "Taxi Driver," the legendary Martin Scorsese film from 1976, dusts off some of the preoccupations of that earlier film and gives us an updated version that's more in tune with our troubled current times.

Scorsese's film was about Vietnam and the mental toll it took on those who served in it. Travis Bickle, played so memorably by Robert De Niro, fought for his country and then was unceremoniously dumped back into the middle of NYC and its urban decay. He appointed himself a righteous avenging angel, determined to clean up the streets of the immorality and sleaze he saw there. His taxi was his church, and in his isolation his feverish thoughts and fantasies turned into his own twisted version of reality.

In "First Reformed," the conflict is the Gulf War rather than Vietnam, and the church is an actual church, in this case presided over by a priest who turned to the cloth after he lost his son in Iraq. Then a series of incidents with an environmental activist parishioner triggers a kindred activist spark in the priest that goes haywire, and he decides the way to prove his faith is to make mankind atone for the raping of God's creation, planet Earth.

Ethan Hawke gives a tremendous performance in this film, perhaps the best of his career. The film is one sustained note of dread, and it's incredibly bleak. It poses the question, "Is it morally justifiable to bring a child into this world knowing that that we're in the process of destroying it?" And as a father of two young boys it made me extremely uncomfortable to admit that it's probably not.

The ending of this film will likely enrage some and enrapture others. I can't talk too much without spoiling it, but I thought it was brilliant. One of the major themes of the movie is the choice we must make between hope and despair, and I can't think of a better way to make that point than by making us have to choose how this movie actually ends.

"First Reformed" crawled into my head and has stayed there haunting it for days. I might see movies I like more yet this year, but I can't imagine I'll see many that have had quite the same impact.

Grade: A+

I'm someone who's open to pretty much any type of film ending, and so it's hard for an ending to leave me speechless. But this film did just that. The final moments are sure to infuriate, annoy, confuse, and mystify viewers. As an entire film, it's powerful. It's hard to really grasp its effect while it's going on, especially the first half. But the longer it goes, the more it starts to have an effect and the more uneasy you get. The film is a pretty daring mix of drama, satire, and even horror, with some moments of complete dread and tension that mimic the atmosphere of horror films. There's quite a lot of dialogue and it's not always "entertaining," and sometimes it feels like it's trying to say so much within the span of one film. Overall, though, it's easily one of the stand-out films of the year and one that I reckon will stand as one of the most original of the last few years. Even if the film wasn't already all that successful, it would be worth it for Ethan Hawke. He's someone that has always been a good actor, consistently putting in good work (sometimes even great work in Richard Linklater films), but this is him at his peak. It's hard to deny that this is the best work he has ever given, and the Academy would be foolish to not recognize him. The film will be a tough sell for him, but it's searing work. It's a film and performance that I haven't stopped thinking about in the hours since I saw it.

I wouldn't say it's my favorite film of the year so far (definitely one of them), but watching this I felt like I was watching the work of a master and a future classic, a film that will be talked about years from now.

The current 7.2 is overrated. It is true that until the 3rd act the movie is a great one. It keeps you very interested. But from the start of the 3rd act it takes a HUGE TURN into a nonsense and unbelievable way, especially the very end of it going to make the whole thing even worse.

Little note: I don't think at all that the wide lens they used for most of the scenes worked well.

So NOT A 7.2 MOVIE. A solid 6 even with an ending like this.

I've been a fan of Ethan Hawke for 38 years, and I was sailing along with First Reformed through the dramatic turn but disconnected in the last fifteen minutes when the storytelling went off the rails. The protagonist gets an idea that is certainly dramatic, but doesn't first his character or backstory. It simply makes no sense and when the screen went to black for the credits I actually thought there was a projection malfunction! The abrupt ending wasn't challenging, it was stupid and I felt used. I do not expect or want The Sound Of Music with every film; I can go with dark as long as its believable and I care. The last fifteen minutes of First Reformed were neither.

First Reformed presents a true account of modern times. The protagonist, a relatively young priest, is faced with the dilemma of either following the word of Jesus or welcoming the economic benefits that being complacent with a polluting international company will bring to his church. The film is full of profound thoughts, which are very true about the aim of institutions, their core purpose and the difficulty in having a wisdom capable of balancing and believing in the coexistence of opposing values, at the same time. There is also a subtle critique about the "new age" or "new economy" philosophy of optimism and abundance, at all costs, as if belonging to such groups could provide the adept with a magic pill that relives from thinking about modern injustices and global challenges.

Or is it? And what kind of deadly are we talking about? Bored to death some will immediately say. And if that is what comes to mind while you watch it, I would totally get it. And not because of anything in particular other than the pace of the movie. How it conducts itself and how the viewer will perceive it. But as always this will be a decision everyone has to make for themselves. Another reviewer calls this a somber masterpiece.

Whether you agree with the assessment or not, the user felt like it while watching it. Paul Schrader is most definitely not someone who'll do a movie that's purely entertaining. And since he has written this too, you can imagine that the guy behind Taxi Driver and Bad Lieutnant is not going to hold back or become mainstream. Does the end justify all means though? Well if you hold onto it until then, you may feel that way or you may feel dissapointed. Just because this is "art" does not mean, you have to like it. But if it floats your boat, you'll be so high, it will feel like heaven ...