First Reformed
(2018)
Available Now
Synopsis
Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a solitary, middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York on the cusp of celebrating its 250th anniversary. Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the church is now a tourist attraction catering to a dwindling congregation, eclipsed by its nearby parent church, Abundant Life, with its state-of-the-art facilities and 5,000-strong flock. When a pregnant parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) asks Reverend Toller to counsel her husband, a radical environmentalist, the clergyman finds himself plunged into his own tormented past, and equally despairing future, until he finds redemption in an act of grandiose violence.
Directors
Paul Schrader, Gary Hamilton, Victoria Hill, Christine Vachon, Frank Murray, Paul Schrader, Brian Williams, Ying Ye, Susan Shopmaker, Adam Bailey, Robin Day, Paul Schrader, Ying Ye
Production year
2018
Rating
R
Studio
A24
Runtime
113 minutes
Cast
Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric the Entertainer, Michael Gaston, Van Hansis