Blitz (2024) is directed by Steve McQueen and stars Elliott Heffernan, Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Kathy Burke, Erin Kellyman, Hayley Squires, Fraser Holmes, and Sally Messham. The film follows a child named George (Heffernan) as he and other lads and lasses are evacuated to the English countryside to escape bombing raids by Nazis during WWII. Unable to face leaving his mother, Rita (Ronan), George jumps off the train leaving London and embarks on a perilous journey home. Meanwhile, Rita attempts to inspire her fellow female factory workers as well as help various citizens whose lives are ravaged by the bombings. 

Contrary to its marketing that heavily features Saoirse Ronan’s character, young Elliot Heffernan takes center stage as the film’s clear protagonist. Thankfully, this is one of the better lead child performances I’ve seen in a long time. I think this is because the script doesn’t require him to speak much dialogue and instead allows him to communicate through his powerful facial expressions. The script also does a great job of giving the character childlike characteristics that can be annoying but believable. My only issue with the character ends up being a big one in the sense that the entire crux of the story relies on the character making a frustratingly dumb decision. I’ve worked with kids younger than George and I guarantee those kids would understand the danger of staying in a city being bombed and willingly leave regardless if they miss their parents or not. Sure, it’s possible, but it doesn’t make George very likable. It makes him come across as low-IQ regardless of his age.

Saoirse Ronan is great as always but her character’s arc feels frustratingly underbaked. We see her do things during wartime, but there’s never a clear conflict she experiences. It’s as if the film wants to remind us she’s there but never really quite knows what to do with her. For example, there’s an implied budding romance with Harris Dickinson’s character that the script never seems interested in following through on. At the very least, Ronan is a capable enough actress to convey the palpable levels of love her character requires.

This is a well-made movie that offers a unique wartime journey but is unfortunately handcuffed by some unoriginal explorations of racism and sexism. It’s not that they’re particularly preachy, they just offer little new and distract from the more visceral life-and-death stakes the characters face. Certain deviations also feel unnecessary as in they don’t particularly serve the overall story/effect. Although the movie finds a nice tonal balance, its focus is all over the place and simply tries to do too much. It either needs to be 30 minutes longer and broaden its focus/characters or cut by 30 minutes and focus solely on George’s journey. This overstuffed 2 hours eventually results in a hurried ending that leaves too many loose ends. 

Overall, this is an intense little WWII thriller that should appeal to a wide variety of audiences this awards season. That being said, its choices often feel tame and unoriginal. There are no real surprises and I struggle to see anything new it has to say on a thematic level. That being said, in terms of pure production value, it’s an undeniable treat. B