Should I watch First Reformed Reviews, Reasons to watch, Stream It or Skip It?

76 %

93 % Certified Fresh

$ 3 Million

See Where to Watch First Reformed

Positive Reviews 182

Negative reviews 25

Average Rating 4.0/5

noticeable cinematic american powerful ambitious

All
Positive
Negative

Theres nothing ambiguous about the strength of Hawkes work or the fact that this is a complete artistic comeback for a writer and director who has alw .. Den Of Geek

But Hawke, whose weathered, etched face conveys soul sick malaise, makes a convincing messenger. EW

A stunning, enrapturing film, a crowning work by one of the American cinemas most essential artists. Rogerebert

What emerges is a portrait almost a still life of radicalization. Common Sense Media

For a moment, Schraders scripts devolves into heavy handed moralizing, but thats just a starting point for the evolution of Tollers worldview. Indie Wire

But Tollers transformation isnt convincing its a piece of 1970s grindhouse pseudo psychology, applied (in this case) to 21st century violence. Variety

The filmmakers return to a somber Bressonian mode will work like catnip on his superfans, especially after Schraders exploitative 2013 Lindsay Lohan d .. Time Out

This is a film that wrestles with its themes through rigorously crafted dialogue; Schrader sees no benefit in underlining those words with showy camer .. The Guardian

Shaker furniture in movie form stark, plain, conceived in austere and intelligent good taste; beautifully made, in fact, but maybe more designed for l .. The Guardian

It is also, crucially, a flawed portrait of a flawed man, at war with its baser instincts and in danger of backsliding. The Guardian

And because I think theres this thing where people think theres four different movies: the movie thats written, the movie thats on the set, the edited ..

Greatness is often intertwined with insanity, and theres no way to describe the finale of First Reformed as anything other than a dual act of extreme ..

First Reformed, a mesmerizingly austere drama of one mans apocalyptic crisis of faith, feels like the movie Paul Schrader was put on this planet to ma ..

But First Reformed belongs to Hawkes impassioned, agonized portrayal. Screen Daily

The searching loss of faith drama First Reformed is the happy result of Paul Schraders entering the what the hell lets go for it stage of his long and .. Vulture

Adopting an austerely boxy 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Schrader focuses intently on the dutifully regimented routine of pastor Toller (a decidedly middle age .. The Hollywood Reporter

Its a movie every person of faith should see, although many wont enjoy looking into this fractured mirror of modern life.

This austerity isnt meant to capture the rhythms of ordinary existence, but rather to present a heightened, filtered, clarified picture of what that e .. The New York Times

Its a gorgeous film, mourning the impossibility of being alive as it celebrates that which binds us, a conscious rattling, viscera stirring piece of a .. Paste Magazine

First Reformed is Paul Schraders twenty first film as a director, and probably his best. It seems to sum up a lot of things Schrader believes in, arti .. E Film Critic

Its Schraders best film in decades, and recaptures the chilling end times desolation of his finest work. Telegraph

It is an exquisite piece of filmmaking and also a blunt, pulpy instrument, a despairing, fully sustained howl of a movie that is easily this directors ..

At 71, Schrader has had a long career giving us movies worth obsessing over, and First Reformed proves hes still a force to be reckoned with. The Young Folks

Schraders best in yonks, a powerful meditation on faiths place in the modern world.

A masterwork containing a possible career best performance by Ethan Hawke. JoBlo

Ultimately its sheer archness reveals Paul Schrader as a gifted and deeply persuasive evangelist of the transcendental style if not quite a canon sain .. The Globe And Mail

The scenes with Hawke, Cedric, and Gaston are improbably tense, in part because each character is given a rich and forceful voice in a way that has be .. Philly

Paul Schrader has a deep respect for inexplicable mystical happenings. Spirituality And Practice

The morality tale obviousness of First Reformeds plotting at times proves at odds with its sensitive detailing of its characters inner and spiritual l .. Village Voice

Michael (Philip Ettinger, in a deflated, depressed performance) doesnt want the baby. Rogers Movie Nation

Schrader provides a fascinating commentary track, and theres a 15 minute featurette with some on set footage and interviews. Combust Ible Celluloid

First Reformed begins to get really interesting when Schrader turns the tables on his hero and us, and possibly himself. Chicago Reader

Schrader doesnt become caught up in psychoanalysis, speeches, or theologizing. Mark Reviews Movies

First Reformed is Ethan Hawkes film and the actor gives a richly textured performance of a man at an important crossroad in his life.

Schrader has made his best film in years with his eco warrior country priest.

The plodding pace, exacerbated by the lack of a plot, certainly doesnt help. Reel Film Reviews

They are weird moments of almost hypnotic transcendence, but at the center of it is that tortured Gods lonely man character perfectly embodied by Etha .. You Tube

Yet ultimately its so good, and the attention to truthfulness so intense, that Schrader writes himself into a narrative dead end and to a conclusion t .. The Times

All this seems to be heading into familiar art film territory, darkness, despair, suicide, violence and existential ennui. On the surface, this is a o .. Lariat

A film that glides on a knifes edge of seemingly unresolvable contradictions. News Review

But you dont need a degree in cinema to have this existential drama shake you to the core. Rolling Stone

Hawke delivers a committed performance packed with layers of intrigue as a fascinating man whose trajectory doesnt always make sense. Shadows On The Wall

Hes been a fresh faced teen, a twentysomething heartthrob, and a dad; hes done Shakespeare and Westerns; hes forged great relationships with directors .. Decider

This is Hawkes show all the way, though, and hes never less than astonishing to watch. The Wrap

At first glance, this austere, formally composed work doesnt at all resemble the vividly weird movies for which Schrader, as writer or director or bot .. News Day

But Bressons spare stylistics achieved a sublimity while Schraders, though intermittently powerful, too often feel schematic. Cs Monitor

First Reformed is an amazing examination of faith, a film that stays with you long after you have left the theater. Az Central

Cinema Nova, opens Tuesday, December 25 If you miss the fractious compromises and economical storytelling of earlier Nuri Bilge Ceylan features such a .. Smh

Schrader is a master of austere screen stories of existential crisis, which hes deepened here with his genuine concerns about environmental ruin. Toronto Star

Despite the provocative imagery and subject matter, First Reformed is a film that revels in its solemnity and speaks with a furious sincerity. Flim List

The lighting is ephemerally ethereal; Dynan doesnt overwhelm with majestic, cathartic shots and god like, religious imagery. Film Inquiry

But theres another film that Schraders is preoccupied with: Ingmar Bergmans Winter Light. Film Inquiry

Can God forgive us for what weve done to this world Michael asks Toller. Susang Ranger

Either way, its thoughtfully riveting for some career best performances. Flickering Myth

If you dont get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Time

Diary of a Country Priest in New York State. A fine Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried. Ending is a bit off the rails. Boston Herald

Hawkes terse performance, the rare turn by a movie star that can almost completely shun conventional likability goes about in tipping us toward seeing .. The Film Stage

An act of spiritual inquiry, a coolly assured example of cinematic scholarship in subtly deployed motion and one of the strongest pictures of 2018. Chicago Tribune

Is ambition is encouraging, and its dark musings are certainly provocative. Boston Globe

Schrader counterpoints the films weightier philosophical concerns with grindhouse nous. The Irish Times

An embittered look at our world through the eyes of someone whos increasingly horrified to be a part of it, and a film thats one of the most searing e .. The Atlantic

Michael cannot imagine bringing a son or daughter into a world thats due to die, thanks to the relentless pollution of its inhabitants and their soull .. Birth Movies Death

Michael (Philip Ettinger, superb) thinks they have no right to bring a child into a world thats doomed. Standard

Michael doesnt believe Mary should give birth to their 20 week old fetus due to the impending dire effects of climate change that will ravage human li .. Coles Mithey

Besides, Schrader doesnt want anything to distract from the films two key forces: The writing sharp, focused, elegantly ferocious and the acting. Pajiba

Nothing happens here that doesnt feel as if Schrader is in completely control of the outcome, the inherent emotional complexities of this story reveal .. Movie Freak

First Reformed is a passionate, unnerving and almost unbearably tense drama about faith, conviction and the rotting core of life on our planet. Detroit News

Its Schraders on point filmmaking a nouveau spin on the spiritual films, character studies, and transcendental style of cinematic Old Masters like Ber .. Groucho Reviews

In First Reformed, depression arises from ones lack of impact, whether that be through inactivity or a lack of tangible results. Consequence Of Sound

First Reformed is a confounding stunner of a movie and richly deserves our full, serious attention. Vox

Schrader masterfully builds suspense to an ending that is at once baffling, delightfully ambiguous, gripping and moving. Hey U Guys

Starched with conviction, First Reformed feels like a lifetime of preoccupations and traumas distilled beautifully, accompanied with a haunting sparse .. The Play List

In its consideration of the commercialization of evangelical Christianity for an audience that has no time for the teachings of Christ, First Reformed .. Now Toronto

The priests counsel doesnt have the intended conclusion and Tuller is driven deeper into himself and away from the world. Cine Vue

Initially sincere and austere, First Reformeds contemplative drama is lent considerable weight by DoP Alexander Dynans static, stately compositions pa .. Games Radar

First Reformed is not for the faint hearted, but this raw, blistering, bleak and uncompromising drama raises important questions about faith and moral .. Raidió Teilifís Éireann

Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) lives a pious life in present day upstate New York, where hes the custodian of the First Reformed Church. Lw Lies

What keeps us alert as viewers is not the slow disintegration of this mans faith, but the deep ambiguity about where the films sympathies actually lie .. Lw Lies

With the planet approaching its demise, Michael argues, whats the point in believing in anything Toller counters that theres still hope. Stl Today

Still, theres no denying that Schraders most Schraderesque films share a signature narrative framework. The Stranger

Making the same film more than once isnt necessarily a bad thing, assuming the original one is a classic. Cleve Land

Marys husband Michael (Phillip Ettinger) is an environmental extremist who cant justify bringing his unborn child into a doomed world. Screen Crush

The film is a zinger, with Hawke giving Toller the hungry, doomed conviction of a Graham Greene hero. Ft

It manages to turn on a light in the middle of so much darkness, such as the cinematic miracle that the film is.

First Reformeds Ernst Toller may be miserable, but hes not alone. Larsen On Film

I have been waiting most of my adult life for Paul Schrader to direct a great film. Christianity Today

Schraders film is a wise, shocking, intellectually prodigious masterpiece. Vanity Fair

Ernst is exhilarated as hes raised from the stupor of parish chores to feel like Jacob wrestling the angel. The Arts Desk

First Reformed is thought provoking and one of the best films you will see this year. The Sun

First Reformed has its steeple in the clouds and its foundation on solid ground. Wsj

Hes played terrifically by Cedric the Entertainer Kyles, and hes the proverbial devil in sheeps clothing. Patriot Ledger

Add Paul Schraders latest movie First Reformed to a growing list of modern masterpieces on faith. Film

A searing, powerful look at the mingling of faith, politics, and activism Punch Drunk Critics

... making viewers feel as numb inside as the main character... feels like its missing a necessary point of view, leaving all else as an exercise in f .. Movie Crypt

He is grappling with a world in crisis, one hes realizing cant be healed by prayer. Straight

A dazzling exploration of the soul of a reverend overwhelmed by his guilt over the death of his son in Iraq. Shockya

His certainty that God is watching doesnt bring comfort, but paralyzing despair. The Ringer

A breathtaking, taut work possessed of an otherworldly meditative stillness, it feels at once hauntingly out of time and haltingly urgent. Film Comment

Mixed in with an outstanding performance from Ethan Hawke, First Reformed is a truly stunning film that can only get better on repeat viewings. One Room With A View

This isnt helped by the parent church, Abundant Life, dwarfing First Reformed in size. Solzy At The Movies

The film features an incredible turn by Ethan Hawke, but cant get out of its own way. Ponderous, pretentious, and intentionally unsatisfying, its a fr .. Awards Circuit

The work of a passionate, intelligent and audacious artist who knows exactly what he wants to say and how he wants to say it. The Skinny

While it invites viewers to ruminate over any number of big ideas, it boasts no crystallizing moment to tie all those ideas together in a satisfying w .. No La

Quieter and more sensitive than anything else Schrader has directed, with Ethan Hawke giving one of his finest and most moving performances in the lea .. Film Avclub

Shot in 1.37:1 aspect ratio, and devoid of a conventional musical score, its an austere examination of devotion, grief, self loathing and the desperat .. The Daily Beast

For Schrader, ideas are paramount, and he packs in plenty, none less profound than the proposition that, to survive, we must hold hope and despair in .. Or Lando Weekly

It is one of the great screen portrayals of spiritual crisis in many, many years though spiritual crisis hasnt been much of a topic for movies lately, .. Alternate Ending

Not an easy watch, but required viewing for ambitious cinephiles. Seattle Times

This is a movie about faith tested, and people trying to reconcile hope with a world that can feel hopeless. Its a film to be seen in a dark theater w .. Guide Live

Also, the ministers growing environmental consciousness feels utterly false. Film Journal International ..

Of course, it doesnt help that the churchs biggest benefactor is an energy company with a toxic track record, owned by a congregant. Seven Day Svt

Ethan Hawke soars in writer/director Schraders masterful (if very bleak) drama about trampled faith. Original Cin

Reverend Toller (Hawke) lives an unassuming life as pastor of a small, historic church thats funded and managed by a nearby mega church, where religio .. Third Coast Review

Reverend Toller (Hawke) has arrived at a sort of crossroads, even though he doesnt know it yet. Ion Cinema

Hawke is heart breakingly good in the role of a faltering priest, disillusioned father, and sinner. Blacknerd Problems

Schrader still doesnt know how to make movies that express belief in a cause, or naturalism, or anything else. National Review

Its an exacting film, substantial and suspenseful, one of the best of the year so far. National Review

But with this intellectually challenging and emotionally sincere film, watching his flawed and human protagonist wrestle with these uncertainties is e .. Winnipeg Free Press

First Reformed is a treatise on remorse, exposed through fixed planes with constant reframing in which frontality predominates. El Pais (Spain)

The writing of First Reformed is audacious. It is unusual and even complicated to connect the church or some institution of faith with the thriller.

First Reformed is the kind of film that will stay with you long after the credits. Ap News

First Reformed slowly builds toward an inevitable conclusion, but Schrader confounds those expectations with an ending that will certainly leave you t .. Columbus Alive

Whats worse Schraders most iconic screenplay, Taxi Driver, reveals a mans descent into madness. Hollywood Into To

The result is a truly stirring portrait that encapsulates the same themes and concerns hes been variating on for decades. Spectrum Culture

Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle First Reformed Drama. Sf Chronicle

For a person so extreme, so inactive, so broken, simply asking God for help isnt enough. Mid West Film Journal

Hawke offers one of his best performances, a masterful blending of outward stoicism and strong and challenging emotions. Am Ny

In a dazzling performance, Ethan Hawke plays Reverend Toller, pastor of a small, historic church in western New York. Washington City Paper

But for all First Reformeds soundless fury, its the perforated moments of intimate wonder which gnaw against our subconscious, a divine sweetness blos .. Film Ireland

But it is, at least, powerfully puzzling and grippingly puzzling. You may not understand it (completely), but you will come away with the feeling that .. Spectator

You dont have to have been raised with religion to tap into Tollers plight; hes being squeezed by his fractured conscience, grief and sense of faith w .. Cambridge Day

And while First Reformed doesnt leap bounds with its bleak allegories of faith and religion, Hawke makes sure the viewers arent the only ones who pay .. The Only Critic

The anger in it the American quality, that refuses to swallow wrath instead of expressing it as violence gives it a simmer. Metro Active

The term may have been on his mind because of Tom Wolfes passing, but it doesnt really fit. Free Beacon

What it is is a movie that offers humanist philosophy masquerading as Christian profundity. World Wng

It is a work that isnt afraid to look at something most movies try their best to avoid: deep despair. Denerstein Unleashed Blog ..

Over an intensely pressurized two hours, Schrader hammers home an intense air of paralysis and existential dread. Metro Times

A stealthily engrossing work that should appeal to viewers who havent seen, say, Affliction. Film Forward

The film raises questions both philosophical and theological, and offers a bleak look at spiritual (and physical) deterioration. Screen Zealots

But theres more on the Reverends mind than the Reconsecration ceremony. Saportare Port

Gripping in its unsentimental clarity of vision, startling in its portentous ruminations on belief, sacrifice, and nature, First Reformed is unsparing .. The Film File

Schrader puts his character on a collision course between the promises of faith and the tragic realities of world in environmental decay. FanboyNation.com

A fantastic depiction of faith under attack by instinct. Dark and dense, First Reformed is a perfect display for Ethan Hawke.

An absolutely compelling portrait of a man of faith immersed in a fugue of existential anguish. Patrick Nabarro

This is an emotionally charged work of art that ought to spark debate on religion, big business, suicide and the environment to name just a few. Movies and Shakers

A raw, ragged, angry work, born out a deep sense of exasperation and hopelessness in the face of rampant indifference to a world in pain. From the Front Row

If Schrader doesnt intend this as a reminder of Matthew 6:2223, then I cant make any sense of it. Looking Closer

While Hawke is excellent, the films unrelenting bleakness makes for a punishing two hours. Herald Scotland

Still, you have to admire Schraders bold attempt to tell this thought provoking tale. The Blus Pot

By reveling in its slowness, Schrader and company provide an out of body meditation akin to the most subtly frightening spiritual experiencessomething .. Film Monthly

A haunting, strange and lyrical narrative on one mans spiritual and political resurrection from the darkest corners of his consciousness. First Reform .. Sa Current

And though hes a simple man, as a narrator, Toller is not to be trusted. 812 Film Reviews

His subtle fury and quiet pathos are mesmerising to follow all the way to the ambiguously marvellous conclusion. What I Watched Tonight

One of the most impactful, poignant, thought provoking movies about faith ever made. Silver Screen Riot

Paul Schrader offers a very personal and, at the same time, universalist, film... that even allows brief moments of magical realism. El antepenÃºltimo mohicano ..

This is Hawkes best performance to date and a film that is at the top of my list of the year. Daily Journal

The best praise I can give First Reformed is that it makes powerful people feel uncomfortable. Brightest Young Things

Without losing track of its heady moral arguments, First Reformed becomes a much rougher and meatier film from Schrader. Host Madison

This ambitious sequels perplexing plot is far too complicated, though it does reward and invites multiple rewatching. Metro News

Just as redemption plays a role in most of Schraders work, First Reformed offers self redemption for a master craftsman who delivers on the best films .. Victoria Advocate

To watch First Reformed is to stare unsparingly into the most basic, unanswerable philosophical questions we have. It is, as Toller says, both exhilar .. Memphis Flyer

too bonkers to bother examining may find it easier to connect with this ambitious and affecting film. Hot Press

Toller doesnt like this pantomime of an existence, but he doesnt fight it much. The Monitor

Hawke is so believable as the questioning cleric, at times it doesnt feel like a performance as much as an extended personal reflection. Ex Press

Schraders latest isnt the new Taxi Driver, so much as it is a 21st century update of Bergmans largely overlooked 1963 effort Winter Light. The Digital Fix

This austere but watchable film distills themes Schrader has addressed throughout his career. Lagniappe Mobile

Its effective as homage, though what works organically in The Sacrifice doesnt work the same way here (I think; I might need a second viewing to be su .. Nc Register

First Reformed is not only best film in a long time... but its also the closest thing to a box office success Schraders had since Affliction.

A major work by a cinema giant, urgently reckoning with issues both current and eternal. Wbur

If you want to say hes dead and imagining this, I wouldnt object. Wtop

First Reformed manages to sublimely inspire great conviction out of impenetrable darkness. Sd City Beat

Like Michael, we cant be sure Rev. Toller wont do something drastic. Father Son Holy Gore

First Reformed is a carefully composed and constructed film that should probably be seen more than once, with cinematic rewards aplenty for those open .. Hammer To Nail

Brooding in tone and sincerely acted... this is Schraders best film since Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters and one of 2018s highlights. Always Good Movies

The effect is so rich and haunting overall, you might be tempted to forgive the poorly realized ending. Good Times

In Hawke, Schrader has found an actor willing to go the full mile the presentation of self violence here is extreme and extraordinary. Un Cut

Schraders latest foray as writer director has given us First Reformed. Spokane7

From the first frame, its a visual pronouncement that First Reformed isnt a typical drama and refuses to play by cinematic convention.

It doesnt help that theyre also subsidizing the upcoming anniversary celebration of First Reformed, an event that Toller is forced to manage.

Just a strong recommendation and a big thumbs up for Schrader still having so much to say after a recent string of cinematic misfires. Jmuvies Blog Spot

Yet theres also an interpersonal crisis: a pastor cant save one of his flock.

Though Abundant Life is as warm as First Reformed is cold, Toller finds no solace there, just easy answers to difficult questions. Boulder Weekly

A portrait of spiritual agony that veritably quakes with stifled, pleading despair.

Proving why hes one of the finest American actors working today, Hawke brings a believable sense of the anguish that is eroding this compellingly off .. The National

Hawke gives an extraordinarily controlled performance as a man struggling mightily to retain dominion over himself...every minute detail of which spea .. Reverse Shot

A great work by a great artist doing things that great art should do making us think, feel and reflect. Dork Shelf

Schrader is positing that the real world is, and should be, about the life of the mind, the health of the soul and love. Ultimately, that is where Fir .. America Magazine

And for fans of transcendentalism, theres a levitation scene thats mesmerizing. Austin Movie Blog 360

The latest film from pugnacious director/writer Paul Schrader is as austere and revelatory as a church confessional...Its a bleak portrait of a man in .. Houston Chronicle

Its a brilliantly conceived trajectory performed with powerful conviction by Hawke. Buffalovibe

Hawke responds to the demands of the role fearlessly: his is a sombre, powerfully restrained performance, and throughout he wears an expression of cle .. Big Issue

But theres tenderness to the film as well; all that despair cant exist without hope, and the violence of youthful anger and extremism coexists with mo .. Rochester City Newspaper

Beautifully composed, it is a film that reaches well beyond the surface of its story. It is about the very condition and mood of our times, and the pa .. Riot Material

This formalist approach to the narrative takes a hard right into more stylized imagery in the third act which is as breathtaking as it is surprising. The Movie Sleuth

A bit formulaic but well acted and charming nonetheless, this is a good movie with a great soundtrack... 48 Hills

First Reformed, is the face of Hawke, which miraculously never gets consumed by the hellfire all around. Dayton City Paper

He is obsessed with just how much whole hearted commitment a spiritual vocation demands. Christian Century

We are treated to long, delicious scenes filled with dialogue that matters, all of it spearheaded by an unwound, infirmed and strangely sexy priest. Missoula News

For a real exploration of American religious psychosis, skip First Reformed and just rewatch Taxi Driver. Citizen Damepod

Noticeable effort for each frame to tell its own story. There are very perceptible shades of Taxi Driver in First Reformed. Seventh Art Studio

Like the best of Schraders work, First Reformed will burrow under your skin, changing shape as you look at it in different lights. Boston Hassle

Schrader keeps us gripped, wondering and dreading what steps Toller might take. And when we do reach the end, he pulls off a truly surprising, transce .. Movie Talk

may not succeed on all fronts, ... but it works its magic where it counts: Its a textbook case, literally, of Schraders concept of transcendental styl .. Review Film Review

But while despair is the prevailing outlook of First Reformed, Schrader doesnt necessarily frame it as heroic. The Gospel Coalition

First Reformed tells the story of Toller (Ethan Hawke), the grief stricken pastor of the eponymous upstate N.Y. Protestant church who delivers sermons .. Counter Punch

In fact, its perhaps the most intelligent examination of faith in recent American cinema. Nate Hood Reviews

Tense, cerebral, and meticulously shot, with thoughtfully laid out inspirations, First Reformed, however, doesnt fully coalesce. Scene Creek

See Where to Watch First Reformed

BROWSE

COMPARE

HELP

GUIDES

POLICIES

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy

SOLUTIONS

ENTERTAINMENT

© 2017, CheeniLabs