Armageddon Time

Armageddon Time is a 2022 American coming-of-age drama film written, directed, and produced by James Gray. The film stars Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, and Anthony Hopkins. Inspired by Gray's childhood experiences, the story follows a young Jewish-American boy who befriends an African-American classmate and begins to struggle with his family's expectations and growing up in a time of inequality and prejudice. It was shot in New Jersey and in Fresh Meadows, Queens, New York, where Gray grew up. Armageddon Time had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2022, and was released in the United States via a limited theatrical release on October 28, 2022, by Focus Features, before expanding wide on November 4. It received positive reviews from critics, but failed at the box office, grossing $6.5 million against a production budget of $15 million. Plot In 1980 Queens, New York City, on his first day in sixth grade, Jewish-American Paul Graff becomes friends with a rebellious African-American classmate, Johnny Davis. Johnny was held back by a year and gets harsher treatment from their teacher when they both joke around in class. Paul often disassociates from his schoolwork and draws pictures instead. Paul lives with his financially stable family. He is close with his maternal grandfather, Aaron Rabinowitz, who encourages him to pursue his aspiration to become an artist. His well-meaning but strict parents, Esther and Irving, are less convinced of Paul's career prospects as an artist. At night, Aaron tells Paul the story of how Aaron's mother escaped antisemitic persecution in Ukraine, fleeing to London before eventually immigrating to the U.S. with Aaron and her British husband.