Blitz (2024)

Matt Roush says...

Reminiscent of 1917 in its propulsive sweep through a nightmarish war-torn landscape, director/writer Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) delivers a gripping drama set in 1940 England, when masses of children are being evacuated for safety from bombed cities during the Nazi Blitzkrieg. This is the story of 9-year-old George (wonderful newcomer Elliott Heffernan), the mixed-race son of munitions worker Rita (glorious Saoirse Ronan), who’s sent away against his wishes and impulsively jumps off the train an hour outside London. His picaresque journey home, which includes a Dickensian interlude with vulture thieves targeting bombed ruins, is harrowing, and Rita’s desperation to find her lost son equally compelling. Not to be missed.

What's Worth Watching (Nov 22)