Since the departure of New Wave Cinema, many filmmakers have sought to develop a signature style and often treat it as a persona that manifests itself on-screen, whether direct or indirect. English film director and screenwriter Guy Ritchie is one filmmaker who, over the course of his career, has created a powerful directorial and narrative voice for himself and now has a solidified, unique style of his own.

First Reformed is a 2017 film written and directed by Paul Schrader, starring Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles, and Victoria Hill. The film follows a small-time yet respected reverend of a small church in upstate New York and his life-changing encounter with a nihilistic climate change activist.