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

68%

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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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Mar 13

3.5/4

A haunting and meditative work.

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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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Rob A

@RT76386004 May 5

Love the protect our planet/ecosystem message, but this film - despite it's starpower - was strange and anticlimactic in my humble opinion. Can't recommend it.

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Grant H

@dj530 May 3

With church as its backdrop, and religion on trial, First Reformed and its self inflicted righteous cast of characters puts hypocrisy into the forefront. Listed as one of A24's best releases, Ethan Hawke turns in another brilliant performance as our pastor who becomes at odds with everything he is supposed to believe in.

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Chirag P.

@trini Apr 10

Coincidentally saw The Drama a few days ago and see parallels with the themes in that movie

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De C

@Decomish Apr 1

There's nothing Reformed about this film. It was awful. Don't watch it.

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Victor A.

@Victor_hfa Mar 29

You will regret every minute you wasted watching this bad joke

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Gracie M.

@Graciemorris00 Feb 4

Not really sure how I feel about this movie, it was very eerie and creeped me out (I am aware that the point of this movie is to make you uncomfortable, but I didn’t realize this before watching). I watched this movie alone, in my house, in the dark, which I definitely should not have done. However, Ethan’s acting was incredible!

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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