This was.... interesting. It's one of those films that tries to do too much and ends up falling short. It was a bit all over the place for me in terms of not only style, but also storyline and characters. There are some really incredible dialogues, and the connection between [spoiler] the catholic religion and environmental activism was something that I had never thought about before and yet makes so much sense, so that was definitely my favourite part about this film: it touches a subject and a discussion through an original perspective, even if at times it felt a bit propagandistic. [/spoiler] The ending sure was something.. not particularly one I liked, though. 8/10

Bye 2 hours...nice knowing ya ppphhhffrrrrttt

Do not be deceived, this is an art film. Don't expect a clear cut plot with any attempt at a reasoned outcome. Paul Schafer is re-imaging two films (DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST and WINTER LIGHT*) and when asked to comment on the possible explainations of his ending "during an appearance on the A24 podcast, Schrader admitted to Sofia Coppola that he isn’t sure, either — but he has some ideas"^. RANT - I'm getting very tired of pretentious art film - END RANT. [spoiler] I could have forgiven a heavy-handed political agenda film or a choreographed decent into insanity but this film was a waste of time [/spoiler]. It was all promise and no payoff. I give this film a 4 (fail) out of 10. [Surreal Drama] Footnotes: * https://www.vulture.com/2018/06/lets-talk-about-the-ending-of-first-reformed.html ^ https://www.indiewire.com/2018/05/first-reformed-ending-explained-paul-schrader-1201970200/

"Will God forgive us?" A very interesting film. It's slow and raises a lot of questions. The third act had me on the edge of my seat and left me wanting more. I went in hearing it had some Taxi Driver vibes and I can say that they do feel similar. It makes sense since the director, Paul Schrader, wrote Taxi Driver. Ethan Hawke was amazing. A very subtle performance but one of the best of the year so far. Amanda Seyfried was great too and even Cedric the Entertainer gave a fantastic performance in a serious role.

Everything is terrible, the best is over and there is no use trying anymore. It sure feels that way sometimes, doesn't it? And I don't just mean your dumb, personal problems, we are talking about the death of Mother Earth and the doom and gloom on the horizon. That is what First Reformed is dealing with as we check in with Ethan Hawke as Reverend Toller a man that has been quietly struggling with his faith, illness and personal life. This is all amplified when he tries to counsel an expecting couple, the father is an environmental activist that adds an extra layer of despair and anxiety to Toller's plate. This movie is artsy as fuck, you can tell because it was released in 4:3 rather than the standard wide screen format because Paul Schraeder does whatever he wants as he should. I've been in the mood for films like this and it delivers, Ethan Hawke really kills it and for such a pessimistic movie I read the ending as rather hopeful.