Actor and comedian Allan McLeod (You're the Worst) joins to discuss Paul Schrader's FIRST REFORMED starring Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, and Cedric Kyles. The 2017 drama concerns the grieving pastor of a small church in upstate New York who undergoes a spiritual crisis after counseling a depressed parishioner and his pregnant wife. Made in a spare, transcendental style, the film is a career-capping summation of Schrader's frequently revisited themes of loneliness, despair, and self-flagellation, combined with the newfound existential threat of climate change. Don't miss this discussion of one of 21st century's most essential films that also somehow manages to touch on The Golden Girls, Southern accents in movies, Leap of Faith starring Steve Martin, glory holes, the future of restaurant buffets, and so much more.
FIRST REFORMED is available to stream on Kanopy or with subscription to Max.
