Get A Glimpse Of Ethan Hawke’s Amazing Performance In New Clip From ‘First Reformed’

We can’t recommend “First Reformed” enough. At this point, it’s safe to say the film, from writer-director Paul Schrader, will easily make our Best of 2018 list at the end of the year, and we’re happy that everyone finally gets a chance to see it for themselves. And in preparation for the film expanding into more theaters this weekend, we have an exclusive clip.

READ MORE: Paul Schrader’s ‘First Reformed’ Is A Gripping Spiritual Riff On ‘Taxi Driver’ [Review]

The clip we’re presenting is a great encapsulation of what’s great about “First Reformed.” The film is anchored by an incredible performance from Ethan Hawke, as a middle-aged pastor who is asked to counsel a man who doesn’t want his wife to give birth in a world filled with problems. And in the clip, you get a great introduction to that story, with Hawke delivering a monologue that is expertly written by Schrader. Over the course of the minute-long clip, you can feel the emotional weight of the film.

READ MORE: What Would Tarkovsky Do? & Other Lessons From Paul Schrader & ‘First Reformed’ [Interview]

As we mentioned, A24 is expanding the release of “First Reformed” into more markets this weekend, so do yourself a favor and skip that little space outlaw movie and treat yourself to one of the best films of the year.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan 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 (Amanda 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. From writer-director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver; American Gigolo; Affliction) comes a gripping thriller about a crisis of faith that is at once personal, political, and planetary.