Ethan Hawke Is A Priest On A Radical Mission In First Reformed Trailer

Ethan Hawke appears to be preparing to drop a bomb.

Writer-director Paul Schrader, the scribe behind classic movies such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ and Mishimia: A Life in Four Chapters is back with First Reformed, an intense-looking character study about a preacher at the end of his rope.

The trailer focuses on Hawke's preacher character, an intense-looking man mourning the death of his son, whom he encouraged to join the Armed Forces. This loss, coupled with a relationship he strikes up with a pair of environmentalist radicals, appears to put the preacher on a violent path, leading him to consider more explosive ways of getting out his message. 

All told, this movie looks awesome. Ethan Hawke appears to really be bringing his best to the haunted, world-weary preacher, and the claustrophobia-inducing aspect ratio makes even this two-minute tease something noticeably tense. 

Additionally, Schrader has always excelled at writing characters who seem to be on the verge of psychological collapse, and the idea of Hawke portraying a character driven toward an unorthodox and violent sense of justice is extremely enticing. 

In addition to Hawke, First Reformed stars Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles, Philip Ettinger, Michael Gaston, and Victoria Hill. 

First Reformed will be out in theaters on May 18. Check out the stirring trailer up above, and the ominous poster down below.