''First Reformed'' is a 2017 American

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a Film genre, genre combining the thriller (genre), thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting ...

film written and directed by

Paul Schrader Paul Joseph Schrader (; born July 22, 1946) is an American screenwriter, film director, and film critic. He first became known for writing the screenplay of Martin Scorsese's ''Taxi Driver'' (1976). He later continued his collaboration with Scor ...

. It stars

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in ''Explorers (film), Explorers'' (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989). Hawke starr ...

as a minister of a small

congregation Congregation may refer to: Religion *Church (congregation), a religious organization that meets in a particular location *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administrative body of the Catholic Church *Religious congregation, a type of religious instit ...

upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...

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 The 74th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 30 August to 9 September 2017, at Venice Lido in Italy. American actress Annette Bening was the jury president for the main competition. Italian actor Alessandro Borghi hosted ...

on August 31, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States on May 18, 2018, by

A24 A24 Films LLC, commonly referred to as A24, is an American Privately held company, independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. The studio is based in Manhattan. The company ...

. 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 The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered the first major harbinger of the film awards season that ...

and the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...

selected ''First Reformed'' as one of the top ten films of 2018, and Schrader was nominated for

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...

at the

91st Academy Awards The 91st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best 2018 in film, films of 2018 and took place on February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During th ...

for his work on the film. At the 24th Critics' Choice Awards, Hawke was nominated for Best Actor and Schrader won

, and, at the

34th Independent Spirit Awards The 34th Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films of 2018, were presented by Film Independent on February 23, 2019. The nominations were announced on November 16, 2018 by actresses Molly Shannon and Gemma Chan. The ce ...

, the film garnered nominations for Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, while Hawke won Best Male Lead.

Plot

As an experiment, Reverend Ernst Toller has decided to write down his daily activities and unfiltered thoughts in a journal for one year, planning to destroy the resulting record when he is done. His church, First Reformed of Snowbridge,

Albany County, New York Albany County ( ) is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state, state of New York (state), New York, United States. Its northern border is formed by the Mohawk River, at its confluence with the Hudson River, which is to the east. As ...

, is an old Dutch Reformed church that was once a stop on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

, but now it is mostly a tourist attraction. The congregation is tiny, and it was bought some years ago by Pastor Joel Jeffers' Abundant Life church, an

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

megachurch A megachurch is a church with a very large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities. Most megachurches are Evangelical, although the term denotes a type of organization, not a denomination. A megachurch draws 2 ...

in Albany, which pays the bills. After the service one Sunday, Toller is approached by Mary Mensana, a pregnant parishioner who is seeking counseling for Michael, her radical-environmentalist husband. Toller visits Michael at his home, and the two have a spirited discussion. Michael relates how he wants Mary to get an abortion because he does not want to bring a child into a world that will soon be rendered almost uninhabitable by

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

. Toller counters by telling Michael how, before he came to First Reformed, he was a

military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases, they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...

, but left the service after his son, Joseph, whom he encouraged to enlist in the military, died in the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

and his wife left him. Not wanting Michael to feel responsible for taking a child from the world, as he does, Toller offers to help the young man search for the courage to overcome his despair, and they arrange to meet again. Mary finds an under-construction explosive

suicide vest Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

in her garage and alerts Toller. He comes over and takes it away, saying he will discuss it with Michael at their meeting, and agrees not to tell the police, as he feels that would only worsen Michael's state. Michael sends a text message asking Toller to meet him in a local park. Toller arrives to find Michael dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound. In accordance with Michael's

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

, a service is held at a local toxic-waste dump, where his ashes are scattered while an environmental protest song is sung. Meanwhile, plans are underway to celebrate the 250th anniversary of First Reformed with a reconsecration service that will be attended by the mayor and governor. Edward Balq, one of Abundant Life's key financial backers and the CEO of BALQ Industries, has taken on the ceremony as his personal project. During a meeting with Toller and Jeffers in a diner, Balq takes issue with Michael's memorial service, which he says was a political statement that involved Abundant Life via Toller's participation. They end up arguing over climate change, Balq dismissing it as "complicated" and Toller saying it is a straightforward matter of Christian

stewardship Stewardship is a practice committed to ethical value that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. The concepts of stewardship can be applied to the environment and nature, economics, health, places, property, information ...

, and Balq ends the discussion by shaming Toller for his failure to help Michael. Reluctantly, to diagnose the cause of his worsening physical pain, which may be caused by and/or the cause of his

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

, Toller finally sees a doctor, who suspects stomach cancer and schedules some tests. Toller begins to go through Michael's laptop computer, which he took after Michael's suicide to prevent the police from discovering anything on it that might make trouble for Mary, and finds information about the large environmental impact of Balq's company. Isolated and facing his mortality, Toller gradually becomes radicalized and completes Michael's suicide vest, which he did not destroy like he told Mary he would. One night, a panicked Mary visits Toller in the

parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, pa ...

of the church, and he offers to play Michael's role in a nonsexual rite of physical intimacy that she mentions the couple used to perform when she would get anxious. The experience leads Toller to have a vision that shifts from views of natural beauty to images of ecological devastation. Toller firmly tells Mary not to attend the reconsecration, and she agrees. Just before the ceremony, he puts on the suicide vest and arms it, but then he sees Mary entering the church. Frantic, he removes the vest, wraps himself in a length of barbed wire he previously found in the church's cemetery, and dons his

alb An Alb is a liturgical vestment. ALB, Alb or alb may also refer to: * Alb, Alpine transhumance in Allemannic German Places * Alb (Upper Rhine), a tributary of the Upper Rhine in northern Black Forest near Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany * Al ...

. He fills a glass with drain cleaner and is about to drink it, when Mary interrupts him. They kiss passionately before an abrupt cut to black.

Cast

Production

The restrained style of ''First Reformed'' recalls the films of Yasujiro Ozu,

Robert Bresson Robert Bresson (; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director. Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson made a notable contribution to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, Ellipsis (narrative device), ellipses, an ...

, and

Carl Theodor Dreyer Carl Theodor Dreyer (; 3 February 1889 – 20 March 1968), commonly known as Carl Th. Dreyer, was a Danish film director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers in history, his movies are noted for emotional austerity ...

that Schrader wrote about in his 1972 book ''Transcendental Style in Film''. Elements of the script allude to Bresson's '' Diary of a Country Priest'' (1951),

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoun ...

's '' Winter Light'' (1963), and the work of Dreyer, as well as Schrader's own script for ''

Taxi Driver ''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. Set in a morally decaying New York City following the Vietnam War, it stars Robert De Niro as veteran Marine and ...

'' (1976). Schrader said that

Paweł Pawlikowski Paweł Aleksander Pawlikowski (; born 15 September 1957) is a Polish filmmaker. He garnered early praise for a string of documentaries in the 1990s and for his award-winning feature films of the 2000s, '' Last Resort'' (2000) and '' My Summer of ...

's film '' Ida'' (2013) inspired him to shoot in a 1.33:1

aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a geometry, geometric shape is the ratio of its sizes in different dimensions. For example, the aspect ratio of a rectangle is the ratio of its longer side to its shorter side—the ratio of width to height, when the rectangl ...

, saying it "drives the vertical lines, so you get more of the human body in the frame." Before approaching Seyfried, Schrader discussed casting

Michelle Williams Michelle Williams or Michele Williams may refer to: * Michelle Ann Williams (born circa 1965), American public health scholar * Michelle Williams (singer) (born 1979), American singer, previously a member of Destiny's Child * Michelle Williams (actr ...

in the role of Mary.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

lasted 20 days, with a budget of $3.5 million. The film was shot around

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

and

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, New York, including the building and grounds of the Zion Episcopal Church in Douglaston.

Release

''First Reformed'' premiered in the main competition section of the

on August 31, 2017. It was also screened at the 44th Telluride Film Festival on September 2, and at the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival on September 12. In September 2017,

acquired the film's North American distribution rights. It was given a

limited theatrical release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few cinemas across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...

in the United States on May 18, 2018, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2018. The screenplay was published by Archway Editions on January 31, 2023, with an introduction by Masha Tupitsyn.

Reception

Box office

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. 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.

Critical response

A. O. Scott Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic, known for his film and literary criticism. After starting his career at ''The New York Review of Books'', '' Variety'', and ''Slate'', he began writing film ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' 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."

Justin Chang Justin Choigee Chang is an American film critic and columnist currently working at ''The New Yorker''. He previously worked for '' Variety'' and for ''Los Angeles Times''. His 2023 reviews at the ''Times'' won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Critici ...

of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' described the film as "a cinephile's delight and a believer's conundrum, an austere American

art film An art film, arthouse film, or specialty film is an independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made prima ...

with a bracing

B-movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

soul, and a story in which the cruelest of cosmic punchlines may finally be no different from the most beautiful accession of grace." David Sims of ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

'' 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."

Peter Bradshaw Peter Nicholas Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire'' magazine. Early life and education Bradshaw was educat ...

of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' 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 Ernst Toller (1 December 1893 – 22 May 1939) was a German author, playwright, left-wing politician and revolutionary, known for his Expressionist plays. He served in 1919 for six days as President of the short-lived Bavarian Soviet Republic, ...

. Michael Phillips of ''

The Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN radio and WGN tel ...

'' stated that "for such a deliberate exercise in a specific, methodical style, ''First Reformed'' is oddly bracing, full of unresolved, contradictory, vital ideas."

Accolades

The film received nominations at the

for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, and Hawke won the award for Best Male Lead. At the 24th Critics' Choice Awards, the film was nominated for Best Actor and

, winning the latter. Schrader and Hawke were awarded Best Screenplay and Best Actor, respectively, at the 28th Gotham Independent Film Awards. Both the

and

listed ''First Reformed'' as one of the Top 10 Films of 2018, and the National Board of Review also gave Schrader their award for

. Schrader's screenplay was also nominated for

at the

, marking the first Oscar nomination of his long filmmaking career.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:First Reformed 2017 films 2017 drama films 2017 independent films 2017 psychological thriller films 2010s American films 2010s English-language films 2010s psychological drama films American independent films American pregnancy films American psychological drama films American psychological thriller films English-language drama films English-language thriller films Existentialist films Climate change films Films about abortion in the United States Films about alcoholism Films about cancer in the United States Films about Christianity Films about suicide Films directed by Paul Schrader Films produced by Christine Vachon Films set in New York (state) Films shot in New York City Films with screenplays by Paul Schrader Eco-terrorism in fiction A24 (company) films Killer Films films English-language independent films Universal Pictures films