Ethan Hawke in First Trailer for A24's Religious Drama 'First Reformed'

"It's been a while since we've talked. Even a pastor needs a pastor." A24 has debuted the first official trailer for the indie drama First Reformed, which premiered at the Venice / Telluride / Toronto trifecta of film festivals last fall. And you need to see this trailer. First Reformed stars Ethan Hawke as a middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York, dealing with a spiritual identity crisis. The film's cast includes Amanda Seyfried, Michael Gaston, Cedric the Entertainer, Van Hansis, Philip Ettinge, Victoria Hill, and Satchel Eden Bell. Described as a "a gripping thriller about a crisis of faith that is at once personal, political, and planetary." This had some mixed reviews coming out of the festivals last fall, but it looks darn good from this fine trailer here. I mean really: Hawke at his best, amazing cinematography, just the right amount of melodramatic spunk. I need to see this - what an excellent trailer.

Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Paul Schrader's First Reformed, from A24's YouTube:

Reverend Ernst Toller (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 (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. First Reformed is both written and directed by veteran American filmmaker Paul Schrader, director of films including Blue Collar, Hardcore, American Gigolo, Cat People, Light of Day, The Comfort of Strangers, Light Sleeper, Forever Mine, Auto Focus, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, The Walker, Adam Resurrected, The Canyons, The Dying of the Light, and Dog Eat Dog previously. This first premiered at the Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York Film Festivals last year. A24 will release Schrader's First Reformed in select theaters starting on May 18th this summer. Thoughts?

from FirstShowing.net https://ift.tt/2pQvb4s