'Blitz' falls short of its full potential

It’s been more than 80 years since World War II began, and we still continue to get new, original stories set during the conflict. They often explore different aspects of what happened with stirring emotions that continue to engage audiences.

The newest film for Apple TV+, which releases on streaming Friday after a brief theatrical run, focuses on those who fought to survive in the heart of London during the Blitz. The Blitz were the daily bombing raids German airplanes made on the heart of England as a means of gaining their surrender. England didn’t surrender, but the people suffered, leading many to abandon the cities, or at least send their children to safety.

That’s the story writer/director Steve McQueen is capturing here. In the film, Rita (Saoirse Ronan) is a single mother who is working in a factory in 1940 as the Blitz reigns in England. Worried she can’t protect her son, George (Elliott Heffernan), she puts him on a train with other children bound for the safety of the countryside. George isn’t pleased.

George wants to stay with his mother and lets her know of his displeasure at the station as he departs. While aboard the train, George decides to make a jump and, once on the ground, to make his way back to his mother. When the authorities let Rita know, George is missing, she begins a frantic search.

George, meanwhile, begins the perilous journey home. All the while George, Rita, and many more in England are forced to endure the nightly bombing raids.

This is an interesting subject to capture for a film. The introduction and the depiction of the raids, and the struggle to find shelter, are fascinating. This makes for a good subject for a film and is something that hasn’t often been covered in films.

I like the way McQueen crafts the world here. The look and field of London during the Blitz is engaging, and the final shot we’re left with is incredibly powerful. There’s also potential in the story, and Ronan gives a strong performance. I also enjoyed Harris Dickinson, who played a supporting role.

The struggle here is the narrative. We get flashbacks to show Rita’s early life and what happened to George’s father. We also get some curious tangents along George’s path home, and in Rita’s search for her son. All of it serves to make the journey somewhat disjointed. I wanted to like this film, and I did like the craft, but ultimately the narrative doesn’t quite come together.

In the end, Blitz is a fascinating story that has some powerful moments but falls short of its potential.

Blitz is streaming on Apple TV+ Friday.