Review of Attack the Block (2011) by Jeff L — 02 Jun 2013

"Attack the Block" is a horror comedy that really works. It has a lot of laughs, memorable characters, sharp dialogue, excellent performances, a smart story and some good action/thrills too. Not only are the human characters unique, but the creature designs/effects are unlike anything you've seen. Because the film is set in London, you get a group of ghetto misfits as the protagonists. Normally, you wouldn't care if any of these punks made it out alive and that's the way the movie is set up, for you to genuinely dislike them. As the movie plays out though, you get to learn more and more about them. You realize how genuine the friendship between these guys is and how under these circumstances there is no one else you'd rather be with. These flawed main characters add a touch of realism that makes the thrills and scares more intense. You don't know who is going to make it out alive and when people die in the movie, it's genuinely shocking. You feel like you've spent a long time getting to know these guys and just as they've really started to grow on you, an alien comes around and kills them, just like that. You get to see the characters grow as the story unfolds and this allows the film to explore some important themes about poverty and community without ever feeling preachy. The setting in this apartment block makes for some really interesting scenes too, something you haven't ever seen before. One of the standout moments is when the characters are moving through the corridors. To save on power, the lights in the corridors automatically turn off and you're expected to press a button to light them up and walk with the lights before the place is once again submerged in darkness. Combine that with the fact that the alien creatures are completely black and you've got yourself a perfect scene that's frightening and incredibly tense.

The casting in the film is perfect. There isn't a moment in the alliances and friendships that feel forced or manufactured and at the end of the movie everyone really feels like a big, unlikely family. The performances, mostly done by child actors is terrific, with unique slang and expressions combined with a thick accent that at first is hard to understand but as the movie goes along, you will adapt to it and wish you could adopt some of their expressions in your own dialogue. Also noteworthy is the excellent soundtrack by "Basement Jacks", which helps pump up the energy and add to the film's ghetto, uneasy feel. The creatures in the film are really intriguing to observe and the simple but elegant design is quite effective, they feel menacing but because there's not really much to see when they're on the screen (their fur is so dark it doesn't reflect light and they basically look like gorillas with tiger teeth running around) you focus on the action and the adrenaline the characters feel, not the special effects. The characters feel intelligent and don't make the same stupid mistakes you see everyone do but that doesn't mean there's any less tension. You have the protagonists running from 3 different threats throughout the film. A mix of creature, local gangster and police threats that make the film constantly dodge threats and never let down. With everything working on all cylinders, "Attak the Block" is more than a good sci-fi creature flick, it's a great sci-fi creature flick. It's scary, thrilling and even touching at times. Once it's all done with, you'll be excited to share this with your friends. (Blu-ray, November 4, 2012).