'' First Reformed '' was screened at the 74th Venice International Film Festival on August 31 , 2017 , and was released in the United States on May 18 , 2018 , by A24 . The film was acclaimed by critics , who gave specific praise to Hawke 's performance and Schrader 's screenplay and direction . The film was chosen by both the National Board of Review and American Film Institute as one of the Top 10 Films of 2018 . At the Independent Spirit Awards , the film received nominations for Best Film , Best Male Lead ( Hawke ) , Best Director and Best Screenplay , while Schrader 's screenplay was also nominated for an Academy Award , the first of his career
74th Venice International Film Festival
74th Venice International Film Festival
First Reformed