10 Films You Didn't Watch (But Should)
4. First Reformed (2017)
Despair is something people try to avoid, but it inevitably presents itself from time to time. Paul Schrader's First Reformed takes a good look at how despair affects the human mind and spirit.
The film centres on a pastor named Ernst Toller, played by Ethan Hawke, and his crisis of faith after discovering some troubling information from a person in his community. What he learns cause him to doubt his faith and let despair outweigh hope. It's a humbling and refreshingly honest portrayal of how a lot people experience their spiritual lives.
Schrader isn't afraid to wrestle with uncertainty or explore painful feelings; this makes the film so much easier to relate to and think deeply about. Most films that centre on faith spell answers out for the viewer in simple terms, but that is not often true to life and people's experiences. The difficulty and messiness of First Reformed are what makes it so compelling.
Beyond the film's excellent story, Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried both give remarkable performances, and the cinematography beautifully conveys feelings of being trapped and lost thanks to its 4:3 aspect ratio and stationary framing with deep focus.