On the review-aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 175 reviews, and an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Brought to life by delicate work from writer-director Paul Schrader and elevated by a standout performance by Ethan Hawke, First Reformed takes a sensitive and suspenseful look at weighty themes."[12] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[13]