A defining moment in human history is being brought to the big screen with Steve McQueen's Blitz, as the period drama depicts the resiliency of the British people during the World War 2 Nazi bombing campaign of London.
The first narrative feature to be directed by Oscar-winner Steve McQueen since 2018, Blitz automatically belongs on the list of most-anticipated 2024 new movies. Add in Saoirse Ronan and a strong British cast and Blitz has all the makings of a potential awards darling.
Read on to find out more about all that as we share everything you need to know about Blitz.
Blitz release date
Blitz is scheduled to be released exclusively in movie theaters on November 1 in select cinemas. It'll then premiere on Apple TV Plus on November 22, allowing all subscribers to the service to stream the movie.
Blitz cast
Four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan headlines Blitz, playing Rita, a mother who made the difficult decision to send her son to the English countryside during the bombing, only to have to search for him when he attempts to return home but then goes missing. Ronan is best known for her roles in See How They Run, Little Women, Lady Bird, Brooklyn and Atonement. In addition to Blitz, she also stars in The Outrun in 2024.
Playing George, Rita's 9-year-old son, is Elliott Heffernan, who is making his big screen debut with the movie. Rounding out the central family is musician/actor Paul Weller, who plays George's grandfather, Gerald.
Also starring in Blitz are Harris Dickinson (A Murder at the End of the World), Benjamin Clementine (Dune), Kathy Burke (The Sea Beast), Stephen Graham (Young Woman and the Sea), Leigh Gill (Joker), Mica Ricketts (Here We Go), CJ Beckford (Riches), Alex Jennings (Mr. Bates vs The Post Office), Joshua McGuire (The Gentlemen), Hayley Squires (Great Expectations), Erin Kellyman (Willow) and Sally Messham (A Small Light).
Blitz plot
An original script form McQueen, here is the official synopsis for Blitz:
"Sir Steve McQueen's Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son."
Blitz trailer
Watch the Blitz trailer right here:
Blitz reviews
After its world premiere at the London Film Festival, reviews for Blitz are starting to come in. That includes WTW's own Blitz review.
If you're looking for the early consensus on the movie is, as of October 9, shortly after its premiere, the movie has a 100% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Steve McQueen movies
McQueen is one of the more critically acclaimed directors in recent memory, and not just on the big screen, as his TV mini series Small Axe received wide praise. Blitz marks his return to narrative features for the first time since 2018. Though he has remained busy, directing documentaries, including the TV docuseries Uprising and the documentary Occupied City about Amsterdam. However, here's a refresher on the feature movies that McQueen has directed in his career:
- Hunger (2008)
- Shame (2011)
- 12 Years a Slave (2013)
- Widows (2018)
