First Reformed

Nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 2019 Academy Awards

Paul Schrader returns to familiar territory in this drama that echoes his screenplay for Scorsese’s 1976 classic Taxi Driver. Ethan Hawke gives a special, multi award-winning performance as a deeply troubled Protestant minister undergoing a profound spiritual and psychological crisis. This stunning, enrapturing film demonstrates that you don’t need superheroes, VFX, or shootouts for a film to grab an audience’s attention. It is every bit as dramatic and surprising as the most intricately plotted thriller.

93% – Rotten Tomatoes
7.1/10 – IMDB

“First Reformed is a bleak, punishing movie and the furthest thing imaginable from an easy crowdpleaser. But Hawke juices it with an austere sense of grace.”

“A career best performance from Hawke is propelled by a sterling examination of faith and desire. This is Schrader’s best work is[sic] years.”

Review: Ethan Hawke faces Paul Schrader’s spiritual apocalypse – The Guardian

Review: First Reformed – Roger Ebert.com