Blitz (2024)
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A young boy's journey through the chaos of the London Blitz leads to a poignant reunion with his mother.
The story
In London during the Second World War, nine-year-old George, the mixed-race son of a white woman named Rita and a Black man deported to Grenada, lives in Stepney. As the Nazi bombing begins, Rita's father encourages her to evacuate George to the country for his safety. George is sent away, initially upset and refusing to say goodbye. During the journey, he faces bullying from other boys but stands up to them. Defiantly, George jumps off the train to return to London, eventually stowing away on a goods train and navigating the dangerous, bombed-out streets of the city alone.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
During WWII, nine-year-old George is evacuated from London to the country to escape the Blitz. After being bullied on the train, he jumps off to return home, stowing away on a goods train where he meets three brothers. One brother, Tommy, is killed during their escape. George eventually reaches London but finds his home in Stepney destroyed. He is taken in by Ife, an ARP warden, who helps him navigate the multiethnic East End. After Ife is killed during a bombing, George is threatened by a gang of thieves and eventually finds himself trapped in a flooding underground station. After escaping, he is briefly held by a woman named Ruby before finding his destroyed home. There, he discovers his grandfather Gerald has been killed. He is finally reunited with his mother, Rita, who has left her job to find him, amidst the rubble of their home.
- First release year
- 2024
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steve McQueen
- Writers
- Steve McQueen · writer
- Cast and characters
- Saoirse Ronan · Rita; Elliott Heffernan · George; Harris Dickinson; Benjamin Clementine; Kathy Burke; Paul Weller; Stephen Graham
- Genres
- historical war drama
- Themes
- racism; mother-son relationships; survival; unity
- Tone and mood
- heartfelt; rousing; brutal; dissonant
- Premise and plot tags
- historical drama; war drama; WWII; London; mother-son relationship
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with some praising its performances and cinematography while others felt it lacked uniqueness.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 53
- Production trivia
- Steve McQueen discussed the film with Anne, the Princess Royal, after she awarded him his knighthood.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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