How I Live Now follows an angst-ridden teenager sent to her distant family, while London is on the verge of World War III. Saoirse Ronan plays Daisy, a girl full of turmoil, who is constantly trying to push back against the pain closing in around her.

When Daisy meets her family she doesn’t think she belongs, but soon she finds herself adjusting to her surroundings. The family, it so happens, is not blood related, so when she meets Edmond (played by the handsome George MacKay) she becomes lost in his quietness and decides she wants more. 

But right after they have their first moment, a bomb goes off, literally, and the movie truly is underway. When the two are separated, Daisy fights back and we watch as she makes her journey home.

How I Live Now has a magical appeal to it. When Daisy and Edmond connect and then get separated, their presence (and subsequent absence) in each other’s journey is felt deeply, and the desire for them to find their way back to each other is overpowering. We don’t see Edmond throughout, however his presence is felt in the moments when Daisy thinks about him.

Saoirse deserves a mention, because the power she gives to this piece is full of an energy we don’t see very often. Newcomer George plays quite the mysterious guy with the promise of much more; his career should take off in one or two films.

If you like dystopian action with a romantic twist, then this is the film for you.