Part of the slate of 2022 new movies is James Gray’s Armageddon Time. In case the title had you wondering, this has nothing to do with Michael Bay’s 1998 blockbuster Armageddon. Instead, Gray is telling a semi-autobiographical story with an impressive cast lined up to portray this fictional version of his family.
Here is everything we know about Armageddon Time.
Armageddon Time release date
Armageddon Time first screened at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, but it is finally arriving for general audiences. The movie releases in limited US regions on October 28, before going wide on November 4. UK audiences can watch it starting November 18.
Armageddon Time is playing exclusively in movie theaters.
Armageddon Time plot
As we said above, Armageddon Time is inspired by James Gray’s childhood in 1980s Queens. Here is the official synopsis from Focus Features:
"From acclaimed filmmaker James Gray, Armageddon Time is a deeply personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of the American Dream."
Armageddon Time trailer
The Armageddon Time trailer is here. In it we see Jeremy Strong, Anne Hathaway and Anthony Hopkins try and guide Banks Repeta's main character in growing up in 1980s America and dealing with complicated issues, particularly race. Watch the trailer right here:
Armageddon Time reviews — what the critics are saying
So what's the word on Armageddon Time? In our own four-star Armageddon Time review, we highlight the trio of fantastic performances from Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins and Jeremy Strong and praise Gray for being able to open up his personal story and create a powerful drama capable of reaching all audiences.
Other critics tend to agree. Armageddon Time has an 84% "Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes (as of October 27) and a 74 on Metacritic.
Who is in the Armageddon Time cast?
James Gray has enlisted a some Oscar winners to headline Armageddon Time, as Anne Hathaway and Anthony Hopkins are part of the movie’s cast. There’s also an Emmy winner in Jeremy Strong on board.
Hathaway is best known for her Oscar-winning work in Les Miserables, as well as movies like The Dark Knight Rises, Rachel Getting Married and The Princess Diaries, while she most recently starred in the Apple TV Plus series WeCrashed.
Hopkins is a two-time Oscar winner for The Silence of the Lambs and The Father. He is set to be busy in 2022, with Armageddon Time and The Son, the latter a reunion with his The Father director, Florian Zeller.
Strong has leaped to the A-list of actors thanks to his performance in the hit series Succession, where he plays Kendall Roy. On the movie side, he’s been in the likes of The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Gentlemen, Molly’s Game and more.
Following the movie's screening at Cannes, we learned that Jessica Chastain is also part of the cast in a cameo role as Maryanne Trump, the sister of Donald Trump.
The rest of the main cast includes Banks Repeta (The Black Phone, The Devil All the Time), Jaylin Webb (The Wonder Years) and Ryan Sell (House of Cards).
Check out photos of the Armageddon Time cast below.
Who is James Gray, Armageddon Time director
James Gray has been a fixture of the independent community more so than big budget Hollywood movies, but he has garnered himself a solid reputation over the course of his career. He made his feature directing debut with Little Odessa in 1994, then added The Yards, We Own the Night, Two Lovers, The Immigrant, The Lost City of Z and his recent and biggest movie, Ad Astra.
Gray has been a frequent visitor to the Cannes Film Festival. Prior to Armageddon Time playing there this year, he’s shown The Yards, We Own the Night, Two Lovers and The Immigrant to the French audiences.
How long is Armageddon Time?
Armageddon Time clocks in at one hour and 55 minutes.
What is Armageddon Time rated?
Armageddon Time is rated R in the US for "language and some drug use involving minors." A UK rating has not been announced.
