The trailer for Armageddon Time is out now and it looks like a movie that promises to move you and make a necessary change in society. The period drama is written, directed, and produced by James Gray and, is inspired by his childhood upbringing in Queens, New York during the 1980s.
The 2022 film has an ensemble cast which features Banks Repeta’s Paul Graff at the centre along with Anne Hathaway as Esther Graff (Paul’s mother), Jeremy Strong as Irving Graff (Paul’s father), Anthony Hopkins as Aaron (Paul’s grandfather), Jaylin Webb as Johnny (Paul’s friend from school) and Ryan Sell as Ted Graff (Paul’s older brother). The cast also includes Dane West as Topper Lowell, Andrew Polk as Mr. Turkeltaub, Richard Bekins as Headmaster Fitzroy, Tovah Feldshuh as Mickey Graff, Jacob MacKinnon as Edgar Romanelli, John Diehl as Fred Trump and Jessica Chastain as Maryanne Trump. Armageddon Time premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2022.
Armageddon Time Trailer Breakdown
The trailer for Armageddon Time is 2 minutes and 40 seconds long. The trailer opens by introducing us to the time when the film is set which is during the presidential win of Ronald Reagan i.e., during the 1980s. We are introduced to the Graff family, who seem pretty comfortable with each other. The first dialogue in the trailer comes from Banks Repeta’s character Paul when he expresses his desire to be an artist.
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But, immediately we understand the stage where Paul is in as his grandfather promotes his desire to do what he wants to but, his mother decides that Paul will go to college as his father shoots at the dream of Paul living a grand life. Paul is definitely adored and pampered at his house but, in school, he finds a new source of love and kinship in the form of a friend named Johnny- a child of colour. The two soon become good friends for only the teachers and the family intervene and stop this friendship, only because Johnny is a black kid.
To stop Paul from associating with Johnny, Paul is sent to his brother’s school which is as strict as schools can be during the 80s. Paul, clearly, struggles at his new school. Not only because of his relationship with Johnny and other kids making fun of it but, also because of the pressure he faces as he is growing up.
In this dire time, Paul’s grandfather, played by Anthony Hopkins looks like a ray of light in his life. In the Armageddon Time trailer, we see Aaron, the grandfather as Paul about why he seems bugged when Paul comes clean about the fact the kids say bad words about the black kids in school and he does nothing but, stand by. With an example of how Jews were treated in the past, Aaron tries to shed some light into what is right and wrong morally to Paul.
As the trailer comes to an end, we see Paul haunted by the dreams and pressure of everyone around him- his mother, father, society and more.
Armageddon Time Trailer
Armageddon Time will be released theatrically by Focus Features on October 28, 2022.