Jeremy Strong delivered an Oscar-worthy performance in this coming-of-age drama

Jeremy StrongHis status as one of the most talented actors in the industry has risen dramatically in recent years, largely thanks to his Emmy Award-winning role as Kendall Roy in the HBO drama series Consequence. While Strong appeared in acclaimed films such as “ The trial of the Chicago 7 And The big short filmStarring in one of the most acclaimed drama series of all time increased his fame significantly. The conclusion of Consequence put Strong in an interesting position, as it was always going to be a challenge for him to deliver performances where the audience wasn’t thinking about Kendall the whole time. However, Strong showed a more nuanced side with his heartbreaking performance in the dark coming-of-age drama Armageddon time.

What is “Armageddon Time” about?

Armageddon time was inspired by the true experiences of director James Gray He grew up in New York City in the 1980s, where he was forced to deal with bigotry and economic unrest in his community. Strong stars like Jewish father Irving Graff, who is raising his young son Paul (Banks Repeta), with high expectations. Irving has a caring relationship with his wife Esther (Anne Hathaway). His strict parenting style is in stark contrast to that of his father-in-law Aaron (Anthony Hopkins), who approaches his relationship with Paul with calm and measured gentleness. Aaron was a survivor of the anti-Semitic genocide in Ukraine, but tends to be more idealistic about Paul’s future. While Irving respects Aaron’s experience and morally superior qualities, Irving wants Paul to have more realistic expectations about what he can accomplish during a difficult time in American history.

Strong is able to capture the struggle of a man who wants the best for his family but is caught up in the turmoil of a rapidly changing world. This put a considerable strain on his father’s relationship with his son. For example, while Aaron encourages Paul’s dreams of becoming an artist, Irving and Esther believe that Paul would be better suited to find a more traditional career path. Criticizing his son’s desire to become an artist, it would have been quite easy for Irving to appear completely insensitive in this scene; However, Strong uses nuance and depth to convey that his fears are all based in fear. Irving has seen his own dreams disappear, and he doesn’t want Paul to experience the same failures with his expectations on his journey to becoming a young man. While Irving recognizes that Paul may be more open in his relationship with Aaron, he is willing to be a little more aggressive if it will benefit their family in the long run.

Jeremy Strong shows the complex side of fatherhood

Armageddon time Is a devastating analysis of regretwhen Paul begins to feel ashamed after allowing his African-American best friend Johnny (Jaylin Webb) to face the consequences of a crime they committed together. Although Paul feels like the fear he’s facing is entirely unique, Irving gives him much-needed advice in a powerful scene where the two finally have a heart-to-heart. Irving talks about his own frustration with bigotry in America and tries to explain to Paul how he has tried to stay focused on the safety of his own family. Strong is able to show genuine empathy by examining the burden that has been on Irving’s shoulders all along; This explains some of his rather snarky behavior at the beginning and makes Paul’s development even more heartbreaking.

Strong does a very subtle but captivating job Armageddon timeas the scenes between Repeta and Hopkins would always be more uplifting in nature. Although not necessarily as flashy as his work Consequenceand nowhere near as flamboyant as his performance as Roy Cohn in The apprenticeStrong’s role in Armageddon time is further proof that he is one of the best actors of his generation, making this a remarkable role.

Armageddon time is currently available to stream on Starz in the US

WATCH ON STARZ