Awards Columnist/Chief Film Critic

After exploring the aftermath of the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam in his 2023 4 1/2-hour documentary Occupied City , director-writer Steve McQueen returns to the era for his latest feature, Blitz, which immerses us in the German Blitzkrieg of London as seen through the innocent eyes of a young boy struggling to survive. The film opened as the opening night attraction at the London Film Festival and will also make its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival later this month. The film begins a three-week theatrical run on November 1, prior to its streaming debut on Apple TV+ on November 22.

There have been films about this dark period in British history before. Most notably, the Oscar-nominated 1987 film Hope And Glory took a lighter approach (if that was possible) with director John Boorman’s semi-autobiographical tale of a 9-year-old who experiences the Blitz.

McQueen has researched the period thoroughly and has crafted this fictional tale of a family caught up in the events of the period that would change Britain forever. Set in the eight months between September 1940 and May 1941, Blitz opens with a terrifying bombing raid scene, the first of several that are more artfully shot than graphically, as McQueen unleashes his visual effects team to watch the bombs slowly drift towards the ground before we see fire engines and firefighters rush in to contain the damage.