



Starring: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric the Entertainer

Directed By: Paul Schrader (Writer of Taxi Driver/Raging Bull)

Rated: R

Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes

I’m sure you’re thinking to yourself, “I’ve never heard of this movie. What is going on?” Fair question. Every summer, we are barraged with stories of superheroes, and explosions, and dinosaurs roaming the Earth. There’s a place for those movies. They make a ton of money, they’re great. I love them. But there can also be a place for a tiny little movie to come in and bring a bit of relief from those big budget blockbusters. Both things can coexist. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.

First Reformed is a story of a pastor played by Ethan Hawke. He comes from a military family. He encourages his son to enlist. The son dies in Iraq. Hawke becomes the pastor at the tiny little church that only tourists go to because it looks so old and quaint. The nearby megachurch keeps the First Reformed church up and running because it respects the historical nature of such a church. So much so, that the megachurch and its pastor, played by Cedric the Entertainer, who interestingly enough has dropped the Entertainer for this role, going by his given name Cedric Kyles. His megachurch is going to throw a huge 250th anniversary ceremony for this tiny church.

Hawke meets a girl by the name Mary, played by Amanda Seyfried, who seeks his counseling after finding out that she is pregnant. What follows is a dark story of faith, society, and activism. And what follows is truly terrific. A great movie that keeps you guessing until even after the movie ends.

There is a moment in this movie, and it will be different for every movie goer, that you realize this movie is just Taxi Driver done in the year 2018. And it will drop your jaw at how similar the two movies are. That could be that both movies were written by the same person, Paul Schrader, who serves as director of this film as well. Schrader wrote such classic movies as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of Christ. He doesn’t have a very successful career as a director, but he hits it out of the park here. Nailing every little detail of a megachurch, a small church, and how younger people today think and act in society.

Ethan Hawke is absolutely phenomenal in this as well. I think with our release date, we won’t see this movie get any real awards action, but it definitely deserves to be in the conversation. You can see the pain, despair, and confusion he goes through during this movie. On his face, and in his actions. He wants to be a better person. He wants to help the world. But he doesn’t know how.

Cedric Kyles is really great here as well. I cannot recall having ever seen him in a dramatic role before. Looking at his resume, nothing jumped out to me as being a dramatic role like this. I could be forgetting one, but certainly he hasn’t gone dramatic often. And I really hope he does in the future, cause he has the ability. You believe him in the role of megachurch pastor. Trying to arrange a large event on top of his usual business in a given week. He understands the business aspect of religion and has succeeded in it. He tries to guide Hawke’s character into being a better pastor. Following the word of God.

One gripe with this movie, it does get a little political. There’s a couple climate change debates that I felt could have been shorter. I don’t necessarily think the movie preaches at you. I can handle baring witness to a conversation without getting all riled up. But I know some listeners out there will be angered by the mere thought of climate change.

All in all, First Reformed, is a refreshing palate cleanser for this point in the summer movie season. We’re about halfway through the big blockbusters. You might be feeling a little fatigued by all the special effects and loud noises at the multiplex right now. This is the perfect counter programming to Avengers and Deadpool. Stellar performances. Superb writing and directing. You will think you know how this movie ends. It does not end that way. You won’t believe me until we fade to black and say “The End”. It pays off. It spurns debate in the car on the way home. First Reformed is a really welcome surprise

On the See It/Stream It/Skip It scale, I would say

See it – if you hate comic book movies

Stream It – if you are behind on the traditional summer fare

If you liked Taxi Driver you’ll love this movie

4 out of 5 stars