‘Armageddon Time’: A Distinctly Reflective Coming-of-Age Drama About Family Expectations and Harsh Inequalities

Armageddon Time (2022) is a distinctly reflective coming-of-age drama set in early-1980s Queens, New York, during the formative years of young Paul Graff (Michael Banks Repeta). A Jewish sixth-grader with artistic ambitions, Paul navigates the push and pull of family expectations, youthful rebellion and the shifting cultural landscape of Reagan-era America.

At home, Paul is shaped by the warmth of his mother Esther (Anne Hathaway), the stern discipline of his father Irving (Jeremy Strong) and the wisdom of his grandfather Aaron (Anthony Hopkins), who ties him to the history of his family’s struggles. Paul’s world broadens when he befriends Johnny (Jaylin Webb), a black classmate whose life is marked by social and economic hardship. What begins as a bond of mischief and imagination, however, soon reveals the stark divide in opportunity between them. When their troubles eventually catch up with them, the boys find themselves at a crossroads that points toward very different futures.

Written and directed by James Gray (The Immigrant, Ad Astra), Armageddon Time is both an intimate family portrait and a sobering meditation on identity and the compromises underpinning the American Dream. Eschewing sentimentality, the film lingers instead on moral choices and the weight of privilege. With strong performances across the board—particularly Hopkins’ heartfelt turn—Gray’s film resonates as a tender evocation of childhood and a poignant reflection on responsibility across generations.

---

Watch the trailer: