Blitz,” loosely gripping, doesn’t tap into our collective idea of what a war film is so much as it does the youthful, perilous journeys through 19th century Britain of Charles Dickens.

As the citys children are sent to the countryside to be away from the bombings, Georges innocence blinds him to the gravity of the situation, and he embarks on a dangerous journey to return home.

I think we know more about the Tudors than we do about the Blitz era,” notes Steve McQueen in the latest episode of Esquire’s Freeze Frame series. It’s that collective historical shortcoming which makes the Oscar-winning director’s latest film – Blitz starring Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan as a mother and son – so moving and surprising.

It was during prep that I built a lot of the intricacies of the dynamic between mother and child from my own relationship with my mom. I was inspired by

Blitz’ director Steve McQueen and star Saoirse Ronan talk about creating esoteric authenticity for World War II London.

Also starring, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, and Stephen Graham, Blitz is a fictional movie that is built atop of a lot of real-life historical context. Read on to learn more about the Blitz true story, and the history of the real London Blitz.

You can watch Blitz for free by taking advantage of an Apple TV+ seven-day free trial, which will give you access to the film and all other content on the platform. You can cancel anytime but if you wish to continue your subscription after the seven days, you'll pay the usual subscription price of £8.99 per month.

Director Steve McQueen’s war drama about a defiant boy’s journey home was released in theaters on Nov. 1. Now, you can watch “Blitz” from home for free with a trial on Apple TV.