From writer-director Paul Schrader (TAXI DRIVER, AMERICAN GIGOLO, AFFLICTION) comes a gripping thriller about a crisis of faith that is at once personal, political, and planetary.
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.
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.
“FIRST REFORMED asks us to take another look at what we think we know about politics, religion and other things we like to argue about, and asks nothing more than our quiet attention.” (The New York Times)
“The searching loss-of-faith drama FIRST REFORMED is the happy result of Paul Schrader’s entering the what-the-hell-let’s-go-for-it stage of his long and bravely self-lacerating career.” (Vulture)
“Brought to life by delicate work from writer-director Paul Schrader and elevated by a standout performance by Ethan Hawke, FIRST REFORMED takes a sensitive and suspenseful look at weighty themes.” (Rotten Tomatoes)
Tuesday, January 8
Doors 8:35 pm | Movie 9:05 pm
Advance tickets $10 HERE | $12 at the door
FIRST REFORMED (Paul Schrader, 2018 / 108 mins / 14A) A priest of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns and a tormented past.