The first few minutes of 'Blitz' are overwhelming. Right from the start, Steve McQueen throws you into the deep end. The first scene shows houses going up in flames, firefighters trying to do what they can, one of them getting hurt, others fighting against a wall of fire and noise. The camera is right in the middle of the chaos, capturing it in raw and sometimes unfocused images, and you can almost feel the heat of the flames.

This is the 'Blitz', the bombing of London during World War II. McQueen shows the war horror from the viewpoint of Rita, a single mother living with her son George and her father in a working class neighbourhood. For his own safety, she sends her young son to the countryside, but he doesn't want to go and refuses to say goodbye in the raillway station. George jumps from the slow moving train, finds his way back to London, but on his way home all sorts of obstacles delay the happy reunion with his mother.

McQueen changes regularly between George's adventures and Rita's desperate search efforts. In both simultaneous stories, the blitz is shown in all its horrors. The bombed streets, the constant fear, the shelters in the underground stations, the women working in the ammunition factories, the live BBC broadcasts to keep the spirits high. McQueen adds an extra layer by showing the racism in the British society, which at that time was convinced of its own superiority.

There is a lot to enjoy from a cinematographic perspective. Beautiful tracking shots, original camera angles and some impressive aerial images of a burning London. One very nice scene starts by showing abstract moving dots, slowly changing into moonlit waves, which are the backdrop for the German bombers flying over the North Sea.

This is clearly a film with a big budget, and it shows. It is also a film which has a lot to offer: a thrilling story, a spectacular war, lots of excitement, nostalgic songs, and a mother and child theme everyone can relate to. And also one suprising member of the cast: Paul Weller plays Rita's father.

Not everything is perfect. There are moments lacking subtlety, and now and then McQueen aims clearly for the tear ducts. But for showing how London suffered during the blitz, the film is definitely worth seeing.

Steve McQueen's latest film, Blitz, transports viewers to 1940s London, where the German bombing campaign transforms daily life into a harrowing blend of survival and normalcy. Through visually stunning cinematography by Yorick Le Saux and a haunting score by Hans Zimmerman, the film centers around George, a nine-year-old boy, and his journey back to the city after being evacuated. McQueen's direction effectively captures the desperation and humanity of wartime, but the film surprisingly opts for a more conventional Hollywood-style narrative.

Elliott Heffernan portrays George, who navigates a series of encounters that test his resilience while revealing the challenges of growing up without his father, Marcus. Alongside this journey is his mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan), a munitions worker embodying the "Rosie The Riveter" spirit of wartime Britain. Rita's portrayal is strong but lacks depth, remaining faithful to the film's message of endurance and sacrifice without delving into darker emotional territory.

Despite Blitz's high production quality, some audiences might find the film's middle-of-the-road approach lacking in moral depth and character intrigue. As George navigates his racial identity and the trauma of war, McQueen gently touches on themes of race and tolerance. While timely, the film's exploration of these subjects feels a bit too polished and tidy.

Blitz isn't short on powerful moments, from the breathtaking recreation of bomb-ravaged London to the small interactions that remind us of the enduring human spirit. Yet, for a Steve McQueen film, it feels unexpectedly conventional, leaning more toward crowd-pleasing, emotionally resonant fare than the darker, more nuanced storytelling his fans might expect.

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London Film Festival last night for the premiere of Steve McQueen's new film, Blitz.

Simply outstanding. Young Elliott Heffernan delivering a monumentally assured and sincere performance, Sairse Ronan as great as ever, and an ensemble cast of much loved British actors Stephen Graham, Kathy Burke, Benjamin Clementine and possibly my fave left-field piece of casting in recent history with Paul Weller as piano playing, loving grandad.

A Hans Zimmer score too, with his absolute mastery of letting you know something is about to happen, but you're never quite sure what. The film can feel big and epic at times and yet entirely localised and intimate at others as you go from swathes of London on fire to intimate London street scenes, front rooms and many small shops and businesses. You don't see or hear the enemy, just the bombs and the air raid sirens warning of them.

Full of fear and hope, singing in the underground to keep spirits up, sisterhood in the bomb factory, selfless characters looking out for those they don't know (take tissues). The diversity in the film reflects what London was like in 1940, and you've never seen it like that on film before. An ever timely reminder that those that divide society destroy society.

Best seen on a big screen with big sound. I hope it gets what it deserves come awards season, achievement in directing #2 for SMQ a definite possibility.

I can't wait to see it again.

I saw this today at the British Film Festival at Royal Festival Hall. I had no idea what to expect as I was tagging along with a friend who'd bought tickets, but I am so glad I went. It is a moving and thought provoking storyline, and the child actor who plays the lead deserves a best actor award for this film, I hope he's recognised for this, despite his young age.. I think watching it in London where it was set makes it hit you all the more, particularly if you're a bit of a local history geek like me. The whole cast were brilliant and played their parts perfectly, it's a must see for young and old, showing the history of what our grandparents went through.

Saoirse Ronan is obviously very good in her role. However she isn't really given all that much to do. The film doesn't really utilize the potential of the premise to its full extent. I found the focus on the kid character to be a little annoying. The movie also has pretty bad pacing and I was checking the time throughout. It is well directed and has good cinematography. The visual effects are also pretty solid. The sound design kind of gave me whiplash with just how often it would go from really loud to really quiet. It's not really a bad movie but it is just so basic and predictable which makes it disappointing.

Had the privilege to watch Blitz during the 2024 NYFF closing night. Have watched many WW2 movies but this was totally different depicting how ordinary Londoners were impacted with all the dropping bombs and how life was disrupted. The other element that was superbly depicted was the underlying racial tension in a multi ethnic London of those days. The fear of bombs and other dangers did not curb the inherent racism.

It almost has a documentary feeling with limited dialogues which made it even more challenging for the cast to bring out the right level of emotion that was necessary to build the mood of the movie.

Highly recommended.

Pretty turgid slow moving screenplay .. the insertion of an identity that does not chime with the times of the movie is a distraction .. like adding ketchup to candy floss .. the old fashions were nicely represented but it lacked authenticity and dragged along .. a bunch of folk left the cinema early ... it's not one of the finest movies made in fact I would argue it was a waste of a very good topic...in some regards it reminded me of Oppenheimer .. very over hyped by the industry as it was selective in its narrative of the man , Though like the Blitz it captured the costumes and habits of the day .. the Blitz is no where comparable to say Dunkirk .. I thought it tropey and tripe.