First Reformed (2018)
Film · Drama
Stream itif you value a rigorous, unsettling exploration of moral crisis and spiritual isolation.
A somber and intellectually demanding character study that explores the intersection of faith, despair, and environmental collapse. Ethan Hawke gives a career-best performance in a film that is deliberately slow and visually austere, making for a challenging but profoundly haunting viewing experience.
What it is about
A pastor of a small church in upstate New York starts to spiral out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife.
Trailer
What First Reformed is like, and who it is for
What it is like to watch
Watching this film feels like being trapped in a cold, silent room with a ticking clock. The pace is deliberate and the square aspect ratio creates a sense of claustrophobia that mirrors the protagonist's mental state. It is an intense, quiet experience where every long take and static camera shot heightens a feeling of mounting dread and existential weight.
Who it is for, and who should skip it
This is for viewers who value intellectual substance and aren't afraid of a story that confronts climate anxiety and religious doubt head-on. It is definitely not for those seeking light entertainment or a fast-paced thriller. Be warned: the film is exceptionally grim and offers no easy comforts, demanding a high level of patience and emotional endurance from its audience.
The right evening for it
It suits a solitary late-night viewing when you are prepared to sit with difficult questions. It is a film for focused, undistracted contemplation rather than casual background watching.
Written by our AI from the facts on this page. It has opinions; it has not watched it.
Another trailer
Trailer · Official Trailer
How First Reformed leaves you
One line on the mood it ends on, with no plot. Some people count that as a spoiler, so it stays hidden until you ask.
Expect to come away feeling profoundly unsettled and intellectually provoked, carrying a heavy sense of moral urgency and the weight of a world in crisis.
How First Reformed ends
Spoilers. The whole ending, in a few lines. Nothing shows until you ask and then confirm.
As the anniversary service for First Reformed begins, Toller prepares to carry out a violent act by donning Michael's suicide vest. However, upon seeing Mary enter the church, he abandons his plan and removes the explosives. Instead, he wraps his torso in barbed wire beneath his robes and fills a glass with chemical drain cleaner, intending to take his own life. Before he can consume the liquid, Mary enters the room and interrupts him. The film ends with the two characters embracing and kissing passionately.
The conclusion leaves the ultimate fate of Toller's health and his spiritual crisis unresolved, focusing instead on the sudden intimacy between him and Mary. It remains unclear if Toller will proceed with his self-destructive impulses or if the encounter with Mary offers a different path.
Summarised by our AI from the plot section of the Wikipedia article, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. This summary is shared under the same licence.
Stills
Images from TMDB.
If you like this, try
Winter Light (1963)
the same bleak examination of a priest struggling with a silent God
Taxi Driver (1976)
a shared focus on a lonely man’s descent into obsessive radicalisation
Ida (2013)
the austere visual style and exploration of religious identity
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More clips
Featurette · Writer/director Paul Schrader on the ending to FIRST REFORMED
Featurette · Paul Schrader's Process
Featurette · Crisis of Faith
First Reformed soundtrack
Music by Brian Williams
- 1Revelation
- 2Hanstown Kills
- 3Discernment
- 4Eden
- 5Awakening
- 6Accursed
- 7Everlasting
- 8So Be It
Album and songs from Apple Music.
Awards
First Reformed was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars.
Oscars
- Nominated: Best Original Screenplay · Paul Schrader · 2019
1 other awardShow
- Won: National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
From Wikidata, which can miss some.
Questions people ask
- Is First Reformed an authentic film?
- Yes. On Watchlist Boosted it is tagged Authentic, with a tense streak. A somber and intellectually demanding character study that explores the intersection of faith, despair, and environmental collapse. Ethan Hawke gives a career-best performance in a film that is deliberately slow and visually austere, making for a challenging but profoundly haunting viewing experience.
- How long is First Reformed?
- First Reformed runs 113 min and was released in 2018.
- Where can I watch First Reformed in the UK?
- In the UK it is not included with any subscription service at the moment. JustWatch lists rental and purchase options.
- Was First Reformed nominated for any awards?
- First Reformed was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars.
- Who composed the music for First Reformed?
- The music for First Reformed is by Brian Williams. The soundtrack album, First Reformed (Extended Motion Picture Soundtrack), has 8 tracks.
- What songs are on the First Reformed soundtrack?
- First Reformed (Extended Motion Picture Soundtrack) has 8 tracks, including “Revelation”, “Hanstown Kills”, “Discernment”, “Eden” and “Awakening”, and more. It is on Apple Music.
- Is First Reformed worth watching?
- Stream it: if you value a rigorous, unsettling exploration of moral crisis and spiritual isolation. IMDb users rate it 7.1 out of 10 from 65,739 votes, Rotten Tomatoes gives it 94%, Metacritic 86 and TMDB users 7.0.
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