Review of Attack the Block (2011) by Christopher R — 14 May 2012

At less than 90 minutes Attack the Block has no time for digressions from its main plot. It is an economical and nearly perfect B-movie in this way, introducing its characters and main plot within minutes and cleverly maintaining the suspense and momentum through its complete running time. Writers and Directors of big budget monster movies could learn a lot from screenwriter turned first time director Joe Cornish, who has the same instincts for entertainment as his friend and producer of this film Edgar Wright.

The movie begins when a young street gang mugs a nurse on her way home from work but are interrupted by a creature falling from the sky that they quickly kill. While they make easy work of the creature they soon find their South London neighborhood invaded by a group of bigger and more dangerous versions of the same monster and they team up with the same nurse they had robbed to fight off the invasion and avoid getting killed by a drug dealer that is also after them.

The film recalls creature movies of the 80s, from Gremlins to CHUD, but has a style all its own. The way Cornish introduces his protagonists as young thugs but then redeems them is ingenious, as are the numerous plot twists that keep the movie moving and the clever darkly comic dialogue.

Compared to J. J. Abrams pandering Super 8, Attack the Block keeps a high degree of artistic integrity. The R-rated film does not shy away from gore or the language that its young protagonists would use in the real world, but most surprising is that how on a much lower budget the movie is able to create more original and compelling creature effects. The monsters in the movie has a unique look, and Cornish takes advantage of his low budget rather than allow it to be a hindrance , by using his limitations as an excuse for creativity.

The film is ultimately too slight and plot driven to transcend its genre and become something more than a fun monster movie but as a good time goes it is nearly unmatched. The ending has pathos that one wouldn't expect and makes one look forward to what Cornish might accomplish down the road.