Apple’s historical war drama film Blitz has an impressive cast led by 4-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan. Blitz follows the story of a mother and son searching for each other in war-torn London. Written and directed by Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave, Shame), Blitz has received mostly positive reviews after it had its world premiere as the opening film at the BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2024. The film was released in select theaters on November 1, 2024 and received an exclusive streaming release on Apple TV+ on November 22, 2024. Blitz currently has a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 81%.

Blitz is already considered one of Saoirse Ronan’s best movies. The official logline of Blitz reads, “The stories of a group of Londoners during the German bombing campaign of the British capital during World War II” (via IMDb). Blitz marks the feature film debut of rising British actor Elliott Heffernan, who was discovered in a nationwide open casting call and rigorous audition process. Blitz is just the fifth feature film by British screenwriter and director Steve McQueen, who made his feature film debut with 2008’s Hunger. McQueen has also directed and produced Small Axe (2002) and Uprising (2021).

Steve McQueen wrote and directed the Best Picture winner
12 Years a Slave
.

Saoirse Ronan as Rita

Actor: Saoirse Ronan, 30, is a 4-time Academy Award nominee from The Bronx, New York. Ronan rose to prominence after being nominated for Best Support Actress at the age of 12 for her role as Briony Tallis in Joe Wright’s 2007 Oscar-winning period drama Atonement starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley. Ronan has also been nominated for Best Actress for her leading roles in Brooklyn (2015), Lady Bird (2017), and Little Women (2019). Ronan’s other notable works include The Lovely Bones (2009), Hanna (2011), Mary Queen of Scots (2018), and The French Dispatch (2021). She recently starred in 2023’s Foe and 2024’s The Outrun, the latter of which has put her in the race to earn her fifth Oscar nomination.

Notable Works:

Character: Ronan plays the protagonist Rita in Blitz.

Harris Dickinson as Jack

Actor: Harris Dickinson, 28, is an English actor from East London. He rose to prominence after starring in the 2017 coming-of-age drama Beach Rats written and directed by Eliza Hittman after making his television debut on Some Girls in 2014. Dickinson went on to star in the notable television series Trust alongside Hilary Swank and the late Donald Sutherland. His most notable film roles include Maleficient: Mistress of Evil, in which he played Prince Philip, The King’s Man, and the 2022 Best Picture nominee Triangle of Sadness written and directed by Ruben Östlund. He recently starred in the critically acclaimed 2023 film The Iron Claw and will star in the upcoming erotic thriller Babygirl alongside Nicole Kidman.

Notable Works:

Character: Dickinson plays Jack in Blitz.

Elliott Heffernan as George

Actor: Elliott Heffernan is an 11-year-old British actor who made his professional acting and feature film debut in Blitz. Heffernan had never acted before when director Steve McQueen discovered him. According to LA Magazine, “McQueen knew that Heffernan, a fellow Brit, had never acted before and that he would have to carry much of the film’s emotional arc. “But I believed in him — and he didn’t disappoint,” McQueen says.” McQueen firmly belives that this will be the “first of many amazing roles” ahead for the young Heffernan.

Character: Heffernan plays George, the son of Ronan’s Rita, in Blitz.

Benjamin Clementine as Ife

Actor: Benjamin Clementine, 35, is a British musician, composer, and actor. He released his first studio album At Least for Now in 2015 and has released a total of three in his career, including 2017’s I Tell a Fly and 2022’s And I Have Been. He made his feature film debut in 2021’s Dune in a small supporting role as Herald of the Change. Blitz is Clementine’s second professional acting credit and role in a feature film. He is slated to appear in the upcoming drama film In the Hand of Dante written and directed by Julian Schnabel (Before Night Falls, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) alongside Oscar Issac, Jason Momoa, Gerard Butler, Gal Gadot, Franco Nero, John Malkovich, and Al Pacino.

Notable Works:

Character: Clementine plays a character named Ife in Blitz.

Blitz Supporting Cast & Characters

Kathy Burke as Beryl: Burke is best known for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Elizabeth, and Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie.

Paul Weller as Gerald: Wller is a screenwriter known for Spider-Man: Far from Home, Stranger Than Fiction, and Grosse Pointe Blank.

Stephen Graham as Albert: Graham is best known for Snatch, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Venom: The Last Dance.

Leigh Gill as Mickey: Gill is best known for Joker, Game of Thrones, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Blitz.