First Reformed

Dir. Paul Schrader. 2017, 113 mins. DCP. With Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles. From writer-director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, American Gigolo) comes a gripping thriller about a crisis of faith that is at once personal, political, and planetary. Reverend Ernst Toller (Hawke) is a solitary parish pastor at a small Dutch Reformed 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 mega-church, Abundant Life. 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 despairing future, searching for redemption. This screening is accompanied by an essay by environmental scientist Steve Koller on responses to climate change and environmental hazards.

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / Free or discounted for MoMI members. Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.