A24 A-to-Z: #65. "First Reformed" (2018)

Scene from First Reformed

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for years to come.

Review: "First Reformed" is Schrader's Unnerving, Nihilistic View of Grappling with Faith

Scene from First Reformed

The latest film from director and writer Paul Schrader is a war for balance. Early on in the film, it's established that one cannot have hope without despair. So is the struggle of Toller (Ethan Hawke), a priest about to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the First Reformed church. It's a place that's meant to bring hope, but what happens when Toller's life is nothing but despair, drawing him to alcoholism and an overwhelming sense that the Earth will perish? Schrader's vision of faith is a classic sense of nihilism, capturing what happens when despair wins the war. By the end, the film has created a scenario that would take even the most devoted viewer want to believe in hope, even as it it creates a vision of despair so uncomfortable that it's both antagonistic and blissful.