ATTACK THE BLOCK Film Review

Hoodies vs aliens

Release Date: OUT NOW!
15 * 88 minutes
Distributor: Optimum Releasing
Director: Joe Cornish
Cast: John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway

Whatever happened to the creature feature? Not since their ’80s heyday have Gremlins, Graboids and the like been a regular, face-eating fixture on the silver screen. Attack The Block is a natural successor to this neglected genre, but it’s not just a throwback to a time before torture-happy loons dominated the box office; it’s an early contender for film of the year.

The directorial debut of Joe Cornish (of Adam and Joe comedy duo fame), it’s an alien-invasion action-adventure set in one of Brixton’s identikit council estates. Instead of a machine-gun-toting meathead, the heroes are a gang of young thugs, who we first meet mugging young nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker). Interrupted when nightmarish ETs start plummeting to Earth through the Bonfire Night sky, they recklessly kill one of the infant invaders and seek refuge from the rest of the pack in their tower block home.

Consistently funny and bursting with creativity, it’s staggering that this is Cornish’s first feature. Along with cinematographer Thomas Townend, Cornish shoots inner city London like Blade Runner’s midnight cityscape; a third-act slow-mo sequence in particular is a scene of unexpected beauty amid the interstellar chaos.

The script more than equals the look of the film, bristling with smart, subtle social commentary – Cornish cast five unknown leads who collaborated with him to craft the admirably authentic dialogue. One of its greater achievements is the way we slowly learn to love an initially repulsive crew, John Boyega’s misguided Moses and Alex Esmail’s riotous Pest being notable standouts.

The siege set-up and largely expendable cast lead to some effective shocks, while the creatures themselves are both conceptually and technically brilliant, putting most modern CG nasties to shame. A word too for Steven Price of Basement Jaxx’s pulsating score, which is guaranteed to be earworming its way round your cochlea for weeks.

If there’s a problem with the film it’s that your enjoyment will directly correlate to your tolerance for “yoof” speak, but when the result is this accomplished we’re willing to forgive. Attack The Block is a mini marvel, and the most promising sci-fi debut since Moon. Jordan Farley