First Reformed (2017) Ending Explained
TL;DR:
First Reformed (2017), directed by Paul Schrader, concludes with Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) grappling with an existential crisis fueled by environmental despair, personal guilt, and spiritual emptiness. After considering a violent act of eco-terrorism, Toller drinks a mixture of drain cleaner and Pepto-Bismol, intending to die. However, the film ends ambiguously: his parishioner Mary (Amanda Seyfried) embraces him, and the screen cuts to black. The ending leaves unanswered whether Toller dies, experiences a spiritual rebirth, or hallucinates the moment. The film's conclusion critiques the intersection of faith, despair, and activism, leaving viewers to ponder the cost of radical hope in a broken world.
The Ending Explained
The finale of First Reformed is a masterclass in ambiguity and thematic resonance. Reverend Toller, a former military chaplain turned small-town pastor, spends the film wrestling with grief (his son's death in Iraq), guilt (his role in encouraging his son to enlist), and existential dread (the looming climate crisis). His descent into radicalization mirrors the journey of Michael, a parishioner who commits suicide after abandoning his plan to bomb an oil refinery. In the final act, Toller dons a suicide vest, intending to blow up a megachurch's anniversary service. However, at the last moment, he hesitates and drinks a toxic concoction instead. Mary's sudden embrace-a gesture of grace-interrupts his self-destruction, but the screen cuts to black before resolution.
This abrupt ending serves multiple purposes. First, it reflects Schrader's recurring theme of the "transcendental style" (seen in Taxi Driver and Raging Bull), where climaxes are elliptical and open to interpretation. The embrace could symbolize divine intervention, a hallucination born of poison, or a literal last-second rescue. Second, the ambiguity forces the audience to confront Toller's central conflict: whether faith can coexist with despair. The blackout suggests that answers are unknowable, mirroring Toller's own struggle to reconcile his belief in God with the seeming absence of divine justice in a world teetering toward ecological collapse.
Unresolved Questions
Does Toller die or survive?
- Possibility 1: He dies, and the embrace is a dying vision of absolution.
- Possibility 2: Mary saves him, representing grace breaking his cycle of self-destruction.
- Possibility 3: The poison induces a hallucination, leaving his fate uncertain.
Is the ending hopeful or nihilistic?
- Hopeful read: Mary's love offers a counter to Toller's despair, suggesting redemption is possible.
- Nihilistic read: The blackout implies nothing matters-faith and activism are equally futile.
What does the suicide vest symbolize?
- A literal weapon of eco-terrorism.
- A metaphor for Toller's internalized guilt and anger.
Personal Opinion
First Reformed is a haunting, meditative film that lingers long after the credits roll. The ending's ambiguity is its greatest strength, refusing to offer easy answers to Toller's anguish. Ethan Hawke's performance is devastating, capturing the quiet unraveling of a man who believes he's lost God's favor. While some may find the lack of resolution frustrating, I appreciate how Schrader trusts the audience to sit with discomfort. The film's critique of institutional religion's complacency in the face of global crisis feels urgently relevant. Ultimately, First Reformed isn't about answers-it's about the unbearable weight of asking the right questions.
Thematic Takeaways
- Faith vs. Despair: Toller's crisis asks whether belief can endure in a world that seems beyond saving.
- Eco-Anxiety: The film presciently channels the paralysis of confronting climate catastrophe.
- Radicalization: Toller's near-turn to violence mirrors real-world extremism born of hopelessness.
The final shot-a sudden blackout-echoes Toller's journal entry: "Wisdom is holding two contradictory truths in your mind at the same time." The film leaves us suspended between grace and ruin, a fitting end for a story about the impossibility of certainty in a fractured world.