First Reformed
A tormented upstate New York pastor confronts ecological catastrophe, institutional compromise, and the limits of faith as his private despair turns toward dangerous conviction.
Overview
A pastor grapples with faith and despair in a world on the brink of collapse.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- austere
- brooding
- paranoid
- quiet night
- serious film discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a formally rigorous, searing spiritual drama that combines austere art-cinema discipline with a bracing thriller-like intensity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ernst Toller writes a daily journal intended for no reader, making private self-examination a central formal device.
Michael’s climate-change fears and Toller’s response connect environmental collapse to spiritual and ethical crisis.
The historic church, precise framing, crisp imagery, and deliberate pacing create a severe visual atmosphere around Toller’s crisis.
Toller’s pastoral role, despair over his son’s death, and response to Michael’s environmental extremism drive the film’s ethical conflict.
Films like First Reformed, and why
Winter Light
austere spiritual crisis, existential despair, and psychologically intense American art-film drama
Silence
formal religious drama centered on faith, doubt, and moral anguish
Taxi Driver
brooding neo-noir atmosphere, damaged male protagonist, and escalating moral obsession
The Turin Horse
environmental dread, alienation, and severe contemplative drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Paul Schrader
- Release Date
- 2018-05-18
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (1498)
Cast
- Ethan Hawke
- Amanda Seyfried
- Cedric the Entertainer
- Victoria Hill
- Philip Ettinger
- Michael Gaston
- Bill Hoag
- Kristin Villanueva
- Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz
- Ken Forman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is First Reformed about?
- A tormented upstate New York pastor confronts ecological catastrophe, institutional compromise, and the limits of faith as his private despair turns toward dangerous conviction.
- What is First Reformed like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of First Reformed as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is First Reformed violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in First Reformed as mild.
- What did critics think of First Reformed?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a formally rigorous, searing spiritual drama that combines austere art-cinema discipline with a bracing thriller-like intensity.
- Which films are like First Reformed?
- Films with a similar feel include Winter Light, Silence, Taxi Driver, and The Turin Horse.
- How long is First Reformed?
- First Reformed runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch First Reformed?
- In United States, First Reformed streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
