Written and directed by James Gray, and in conjunction with Universal Pictures, Armageddon Time follows the journey of Paul Graff and his family as they chase the American dream. Set in New York City in 1980, the prejudice and troubling behaviours of generations that came before are slowly fading, but not as fast as some would hope. As a young boy who hasn’t quite seen the world for what it truly is, Paul (Banks Repeta) draws from the multigenerational family echo system he is subjected to as the life lessons begin to hit home.

While the story is centric on Paul, the adult influences in his life are equally as important to the story and portrayed by some outstanding casting choices. Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong take on the roles of the optimistic yet not so covertly struggling parental roles as Esther and Irving Graff.

Anthony Hopkins embraces the favourite Grandpa, that shares a safe haven relationship that Paul can escape to and express his true feelings. His older brother Ted (Ryan Sell) causes friction with his antagonising behaviour, and his only true friend, John Davis (Jaylin Webb) has a deeply troubled home life, which manifests in a rebellious and reactive manner.

Paul’s perception of life early on is a blissful ignorance that paired with his tendency to dream away his problems and brush off any real consequence is reflected in how others react to him. His teacher Mr. Turkeltaub (Andrew Polk), while problematic in his own right, with clear disdain and prejudice against John, was seen in having to repeatedly keep Paul on track as he failed to grasp certain situations.

This same experience extended to his family during a dinner where Paul was actively going against the grain of his mother’s efforts to provide a cost-effective meal for her family. Going as far as to order a takeout meal in protest while the family argued, and Esther pleading with her son who had no concept of money or how his actions were pushing his mother to breaking point.

The cracks in the glamorised vision of Paul’s life would begin to show as his minor issues at school developed into a major falling out that set into motion a series of life-changing events. Irving’s stern demeanour, which was previously shown, was broken in front of the audience as a much darker and troublesome behaviour of parenting from generations ago reared its ugly head.

The American dream of moving to the USA and making something of yourself drove the grandfather to push Paul into attending a private school with his older brother in response to his behaviour. Grandpa Aaron’s always joyful attitude that fostered the creative side of his grandson suddenly showed a new light for Paul as he expressed to hardship his family endured during World War II, the horrors of his great grandparent’s death, and how the prejudice against Jews shaped his drive for a better life for his extended family.

The entire film is a personal and raw reaction to a coming-of-age transition that sought to reveal the truths that were always there. The grainy film texture and washed-out colours of the suburban neighbourhood combined well with the soul and urban soundtracks.

The Sugar Hill Gang were an influential group to John, and he shared his love for the music with Paul and would play during their time together when they were hanging out, laughing, and being kids. The bright prim and proper halls of the private school were always backed with classical music and had Paul looking out of sorts as he was unable to embrace his carefree nature fully.

The ever-present realisation of the prejudice and discriminatory mindset of the world was finally revealed to Paul as a result of his own actions. The flight response that Paul took as a chance for escapism with his friend John came at the expense of his best friend and led to a brutally emotional turning point in his life. A difficult-to-swallow heart-to-heart with his father revealed that the right thing won’t always happen, that you will have to make choices that stick with you for life or to make the most of terrible situations. The remaining innocence of Paul’s childhood had evaporated as a result, leading into the next chapter of his life.

Armageddon Time is an emotionally raw and honest look into the transitional period in a young child’s life. The love of an extended family isn’t the image sold to you in a postcard, but rather, a generational dream of a better life. There was a lot to take away from this film, more questions than answers in some ways, but an overall appreciation for life is the defining aftertaste.

Written by: Shane Fletcher