First Reformed (2018)
82%RT Audience Score: 68%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
60 wins & 109 nominations total
Review 1: “This movie was terrible. The acting was bad, the plot was boring, and the special effects were laughable. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.”
Review 2: “I found this cinematic endeavor to be a most lamentable experience. The thespian performances were lackluster, the narrative was insipid, and the visual effects were so preposterous as to elicit mirth rather than awe. I cannot in good conscience endorse this film to any discerning viewer.”
Review 3: “What a waste of time and money. The acting was so bad, I thought I was watching a high school play. The plot was predictable and unoriginal, and the special effects were so cheesy, I couldn’t help but cringe. Save yourself the agony and skip this one.”
Review 4: “Alas, this cinematic offering proved to be a most egregious squandering of both temporal and monetary resources. The histrionic performances were so subpar as to evoke memories of amateur dramatics, the narrative was a trite and hackneyed affair, and the visual effects were so risible as to elicit not gasps of wonder, but rather guffaws of derision. I would advise any discerning cinephile to eschew this film with all due haste.”
New Review: “It is with great regret that I must report on the latest cinematic endeavor that has graced our screens. This film, which shall remain nameless, was a most execrable affair. The thespian performances were so lackluster as to make one question the very existence of thespianism itself. The narrative was a trite and hackneyed affair, so bereft of originality that it could have been written by a computer algorithm. And the visual effects, oh the visual effects! They were so preposterous as to make one wonder if the filmmakers had ever seen a real-life object before. In short, this film was a most lamentable waste of time and money, and I would advise any discerning viewer to avoid it like the plague.
Review 1: “The acting in this movie was superb. The characters were well-developed and the plot was engaging. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.”
Review 2: “I loved the cinematography in this film. The shots were beautifully composed and the use of color was stunning. It was like watching a work of art come to life.”
Review 3: “The soundtrack for this movie was incredible. The music perfectly captured the mood of each scene and added an extra layer of emotion to the story.”
New Review: “Holy cow, this movie was a rollercoaster ride of emotions! The acting was so good, I felt like I was right there with the characters. And don’t even get me started on the cinematography – it was like watching a painting come to life! But the real MVP was the soundtrack. I mean, I was tapping my foot and humming along the whole time. Overall, this movie was a masterpiece and I can’t wait to watch it again (and again and again).
Production Company(ies)
Studio Chizu Book Walker Dentsu
Distributor
NA, Sony Pictures Classics, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Pictures Classics
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Zion Episcopal Church, Douglaston, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some disturbing violent images
Year of Release
2018
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.33 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:NA
Genre(s)
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $3,862,498
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $4,545,286
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,206
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 495,669
US/Canada gross: $3,448,256
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $4,057,817
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,866
US/Canada opening weekend: $97,562
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $114,808
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,882
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $3,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $4,118,708
Production budget ranking: 1,944
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,217,924
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$1,791,346
ROI to date (est.): -28%
ROI ranking: 1,555
Helen Mirren – Betty McLeish
Ian McKellen – Roy Courtnay
Russell Tovey – Steven
Director – Bill Condon
Writer – Jeffrey Hatcher
Producer – Bill Condon
Foxcatcher:
Steve Carell – John du Pont
Channing Tatum – Mark Schultz
Mark Ruffalo – Dave Schultz
Director – Bennett Miller
Writer – E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman
Producer – Megan Ellison, Bennett Miller
The Sessions:
John Hawkes – Mark O’Brien
Helen Hunt – Cheryl Cohen Greene
William H. Macy – Father Brendan
Director – Ben Lewin
Writer – Ben Lewin
Producer – Judi Levine, Stephen Nemeth
Elle:
Isabelle Huppert – Michèle Leblanc
Laurent Lafitte – Patrick
Anne Consigny – Anna
Director – Paul Verhoeven
Writer – David Birke
Producer – Saïd Ben Saïd
The Wife:
Glenn Close – Joan Castleman
Jonathan Pryce – Joe Castleman
Max Irons – David Castleman
Director – Björn Runge
Writer – Jane Anderson
Producer – Rosalie Swedlin, Meta Louise Foldager Sørensen
Director(s)
NA
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
South by Southwest, Venice, Telluride, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
60 wins & 109 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
Plot
Forty-six year old Reverend Ernst Toller is the pastor at the historic First Reformed Church in upstate New York. It is seen as the “tourist” church or the “souvenir shop” (its historical significance partly it being a stop on the underground railroad before the slaves crossed into Canada) by Abundant Life, which owns the church and which operates a modern self-named five thousand seat church overseen by Reverend Joel Jeffers. First Reformed is celebrating its two hundred fiftieth anniversary this year, for which a major event is planned, modest in size only at First Reformed itself although the dignitaries like the governor and mayor will be at attendance there, while the event will be simulcast at Abundant Life. Most of the speech-making will be done by local industrialist Ed Balq, a major benefactor of Abundant Life and who is the major donor for the necessary upgrades at First Reformed to be able to hold the event there, and for the event itself, while Toller’s participation will be minimal beyond the introductory sermon. First Reformed is generally a sparsely attended church meaning that Toller doesn’t have to do much direct ministering, although he does have the stock answers when asked how God factors into this or that situation in one’s life. Toller himself has long been divorced, his marriage which could not survive the death of their son, Joseph, in war. Because of that history, Toller believes he is incapable of human love, despite a brief relationship with Esther, the choir mistress at Abundant Life, she who is arguably still in love with him. Toller is neglecting the warning signs about his poor health, the symptoms pointing to a probable diagnosis of stomach cancer, which is only exacerbated by his largely liquid (i.e. alcohol) diet. Toller is already examining his life and work in writing a daily journal for a year, that journal which he intends no one ever to read, but these issues in Toller’s life become more pointed when a new pregnant congregant, Mary, asks him to speak to her husband Michael, who Toller will learn is an environmentalist concerned about bringing another human life into what he already sees as a world doomed because of man’s role in climate change.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Wife stars Glenn Close, who received an Academy Award nomination for her performance.
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