24 Best A24 Movies

Paul Schrader's late-career masterpiece First Reformed follows a pastor (Ethan Hawke) who, whilst suffering with alcoholism and mourning the death of his son, finds his life thrown into turmoil when he comes into contact with a pregnant woman (Amanda Seyfried) and her unstable husband (Philip Ettinger).

Increasingly dark, tragic, unpredictable and fantastically performed by a rarely-better Hawke, Schrader's typically fiery script makes First Reformed a top tier drama that's as suspenseful as it is horrific, and as thoughtful as it is confounding.

With its unsettling themes of suicide, pollution and faith and a final act that transcends everything that came before it, First Reformed is relentlessly strange, powerful tour de force that serves as a spotless reminder of Schrader's talents.