Attack The Block review
I wasn’t sure if there was any way “Attack The Block” could live up to the massive hype it received coming out of SXSW but I’m happy to report that it actually did. A strong contender for the best film I’ve seen so far this year, ATB centers on a group of teens in South London who must defend their neighborhood from an alien invasion. You may not be particularly excited reading that synopsis and thinking about seeing another alien invasion film but sometimes it’s all in the execution. The film opens with a mugging being committed by the same kids who will turn out to be our heroes, but they’re interrupted by an alien creature who crash lands nearby. They chase after it and manage to kill it but it turns out to be the first of many and soon they’re both running for their lives and trying to defend their neighborhood.
It may take a few minutes to get going (and get used to the thick accents) but once it picks up it’s a thrilling and hilarious ride straight through to the end. Unlike many alien invasion films which feel obligated to show you destroyed landmarks and expository news reports, ATB is told entirely from the teens point of view never leaving their neighborhood to check in on what might be going on elsewhere. The kids are all perfect in their parts, creating a believable rapport as well as conveying the toughness and bravado of kids in their rough London hood. (It’s also the perfect flip side to the comraderie of the suburban kids of “Super 8”). So when things start to get out of control you really feel the danger that these kids are in and start to worry that there might actually be casualties.
The regional dialect and unusual tone might keep it from larger box office success but its shelf life is going to be much longer than its theatrical run. What really makes “Attack The Block” great (and reminiscent of other distinctive debuts like “Shaun of the Dead” and “District 9”) is that it doesn’t feel like it was made by a committee. It’s an extremely confident first film from director Joe Cornish (collaborator on two upcoming screenplays with ‘Shaun’ director Edgar Wright) and though his inspirations may run from “Critters,” “The Goonies,” “The Thing” and “Gremlins” the movie still comes across feeling like only one person could have made it. It’s not pastiche or homage, it’s a film made for it’s time and one that will likely be remembered alongside those other films. Believe. Highly recommended.
