While Steve McQueen has achieved significant success and recognition for his 2013 film 12 Years a Slave, much of his other work has been deemed too risqué or boundary-pushing for conventional Academy voters. His latest project, Blitz, held promise for these voters. With Saoirse Ronan leading the film and a narrative set against the backdrop of World War II, Blitz appeared poised to win over traditional Academy tastes and regain the attention of mainstream audiences.

 

Unfortunately, the final product aligns more closely with McQueen's characteristic boundary-pushing style and falls short of the goals I believed he was pursuing. Blitz takes considerable liberties with its themes and plot devices, resulting in an aimless narrative that is challenging for the average viewer to connect with. Instead of focusing on its emotionally resonant overarching story, the film highlights traumatic singular instances during wartime.

 

At its core, Blitz tells the poignant story of a boy separated from his mother as he struggles to find his way home. This premise is exactly what a mainstream marketing strategy would want you to believe, enticing viewers to buy a ticket or express interest in seeing the film in theaters before its debut on Apple TV+. However, while this central narrative is undeniably emotional, it’s difficult to connect with due to frequent interruptions from harsh wartime scenes. Instead of enhancing the film's exploration of the brutal realities of war, these moments distract from the stronger emotional core of the main characters.

 

I must admit, I’ve never fully grasped the criticism surrounding the concept of “trauma porn” as a valid critique for film. McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave has faced significant backlash for this very reason, alongside other high-profile examples like Schindler’s List, Manchester by the Sea, and Saving Private Ryan. While each of these films depicts traumatic events that make for difficult viewing, they integrate these hardships as integral components of the central story or themes being conveyed.

 

However, Blitz marks the first instance where I felt that these traumatic scenes were inserted purely for shock value, aiming to traumatize the audience. The film opens with a horrific and unnecessarily gruesome death of a soldier, lingering on this character and the setup of his eventual demise. It felt as if the film intentionally dragged out this scene to draw out the audience's discomfort. Although I brushed it off initially, I couldn't shake my confusion about the scene's purpose as the film progressed.

 

Later, once the narrative was established, a similar moment unfolded: a brief focus on another character, prolonging his death to extract maximum emotional impact, this time involving a child. Just twenty minutes into the film, I began to seriously question the point of these scenes and found no justification for their inclusion in the narrative.

 

It wasn’t until the halfway point that my concerns were further validated. A long, drawn-out scene introduced a nightclub that had no connection to the main characters or storyline, only to culminate in the violent deaths of everyone involved, further desecrating their bodies. These gruesome depictions of trauma continued throughout the film, solidifying my belief that they were excessive and leaving me with a lingering discomfort.

 

I'm not suggesting that traumatic events or difficult periods shouldn’t be depicted—or accurately depicted—on screen to convey their devastating impact. However, when these moments are shown solely to make viewers miserable or glorify specific traumatic instances without any connection to a film’s themes or narrative, it raises serious concerns about the filmmaker's intentions. Upon the film's conclusion, it felt as if McQueen was fetishizing the trauma experienced during World War II, aiming to leave his audience feeling just as traumatized, which I found deeply disturbing and ultimately unnecessary.

 

I could overlook these instances if the main storyline were strong enough to sustain the film’s runtime; however, the plot surrounding the child character was nearly unbearable. Working with child actors poses significant challenges, as directors strive to elicit believable and emotional performances without exposing them to the heavy subject matter they are portraying. Additionally, it can be tough for a child actor to fully “become” their character on screen, often resulting in performances that feel unbelievable or poor.

 

In this case, the blame shouldn’t fall on the child actors; many simply can’t grasp the emotional depth required by the film. Instead, the responsibility lies squarely with the director. Given the haphazard approach to violence depicted in this film by McQueen, I’m not surprised by the lack of guidance provided to the child actor.

 

Beyond the painful performance surrounding the child, his character is also poorly written. He endures a barrage of traumatic experiences, yet the driving motivation behind his choices feels utterly implausible. I struggled to accept that this child would tolerate such horrifying events rather than confront the alternatives presented to him. This disconnect made it nearly impossible to connect with him emotionally, leaving me feeling frustrated and almost resentful by the film's conclusion—far from the cathartic ending I assume McQueen intended.

 

Ronan, as always, delivered a remarkable performance, showcasing her talent despite the material she was working with. Recently, it was announced that she will be campaigned as a Supporting Actress for the upcoming awards season, a choice that seems justified given her screen time. However, her character’s counterpart—the child—receives an equal amount of focus, appearing as another supporting character. Despite their central roles in the story, I left the film questioning who the true focus was, as the narrative felt disjointed and meandering.

 

While Blitz may initially appear to be an awards-bait World War II film, it ultimately reveals itself to be unnecessarily disturbing. By highlighting and glorifying numerous instances of gruesome death and traumatic moments, McQueen’s latest entry may very well be his weakest work. It is not worth your time, whether in theaters, on a streaming service, or even for the sake of completing a list of potential award nominees. I strongly recommend avoiding *Blitz* at all costs, and I would argue that it shouldn't exist in the first place.