Blitz
Detective Sergeant Tom Brant who is dispatched to take down a serial killer hell bent on killing off the police force one by one. "The Blitz" manages to slip through the grasp of Tom every time, and with the precious lives of his colleagues diminishing one by one, Tom is led to the question: if we can't protect our own, then what good are we?
Working with a mid-range budget of $15.8M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $15.8M in global revenue (+0% profit margin).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Blitz (2011) exemplifies precise dramatic framework, characteristic of Elliott Lester's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 14-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 37 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Tom Brant
Barry Weiss
Harold Roberts
Elizabeth Falls
Chief Inspector Roberts
Main Cast & Characters
Tom Brant
Played by Jason Statham
A tough, volatile detective sergeant who doesn't play by the rules but gets results.
Barry Weiss
Played by Aidan Gillen
The serial killer targeting police officers, a cunning and sadistic journalist turned murderer.
Harold Roberts
Played by Paddy Considine
A homosexual detective inspector who partners with Brant, initially clashing but earning mutual respect.
Elizabeth Falls
Played by Zawe Ashton
A young WPC assigned to the case who struggles with addiction and the pressures of police work.
Chief Inspector Roberts
Played by Mark Rylance
The commanding officer overseeing the investigation and managing departmental politics.
Structural Analysis
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when A cop killer calling himself "Blitz" murders a police officer in cold blood and calls a reporter to announce his intention to kill more police.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Blitz kills a second police officer, escalating the stakes and forcing Brant to actively commit to hunting the killer using his own brutal methods., moving from reaction to action.
At 49 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat The team identifies the killer as Barry Weiss, but he kills a third officer before they can apprehend him - a false victory turns to defeat., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 73 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, PC Falls is brutally attacked and hospitalized by Weiss, bringing the violence personally close to Brant and representing the failure of protective duty., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 78 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Brant discovers Weiss's location through street informants and decides to confront him directly, combining his violent instincts with tactical police work., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Blitz's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 14 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Blitz against these established plot points, we can identify how Elliott Lester utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Blitz within the action genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Bad Guys, Lake Placid and Zoom.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupTheme
A colleague warns Brant that "you can't fight violence with violence" - the central thematic question the film explores about justice and methods.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the London police force dynamics, Brant's partnership with Porter Nash, and the arrival of new officer PC Elizabeth Falls as she joins the team.
Disruption
A cop killer calling himself "Blitz" murders a police officer in cold blood and calls a reporter to announce his intention to kill more police.
Resistance
The police force reacts to the threat, debates methods of catching the killer, and Brant resists playing by the rules while reporter Harold Dunlop becomes involved.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Blitz kills a second police officer, escalating the stakes and forcing Brant to actively commit to hunting the killer using his own brutal methods.
Mirror World
Brant's developing relationship with PC Falls represents a different kind of policing - by-the-book and compassionate - contrasting his violent approach.
Premise
The cat-and-mouse game unfolds as Brant and Nash investigate leads, interrogate suspects, and get closer to identifying the killer while Blitz continues taunting them.
Midpoint
The team identifies the killer as Barry Weiss, but he kills a third officer before they can apprehend him - a false victory turns to defeat.
Opposition
Weiss stays ahead of the police, pressure mounts from superiors, and Brant's violent methods are questioned as the body count rises and the killer remains free.
Collapse
PC Falls is brutally attacked and hospitalized by Weiss, bringing the violence personally close to Brant and representing the failure of protective duty.
Crisis
Brant faces his darkest moment, questioning whether his methods have failed, while reporter Dunlop's interference nearly costs more lives.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Brant discovers Weiss's location through street informants and decides to confront him directly, combining his violent instincts with tactical police work.
Synthesis
The final confrontation as Brant tracks down and confronts Weiss, leading to a brutal showdown that ends with the killer's death at Brant's hands.
Transformation
Brant walks away from the scene unchanged - still the same brutal cop, the film suggesting some problems require violence, leaving the thematic question unresolved.