‘Armageddon Time’
Have you ever burst into tears while sitting in the middle seat riding coach on a cross country airplane flight? That happened to me just the other day watching Armageddon Time, the latest film from the stalwart Gen X director James Gray (Ad Astra, The Immigrant). It revolves around the life of a sixth-grade boy named Paul (a truly astounding Banks Repeta) growing up in Queens, New York, in the early ’80s, an inflection point for not just the boy at the center of this coming-of-age drama, but also New York City and the United States itself. Also starring Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins, and Jeremy Strong, it’s a story about family, friendship, the transition from boyhood to adolescence, and standing up for what you believe in, no matter the cost. It just might wreck you, too, but hopefully while you’re sitting comfortably on your couch and not 30,000 feet above Iowa. (Note: This movie is currently streaming on VOD services like Amazon Prime Video, but will also land on Peacock Premium beginning on February 17, 2023.)