Attack The Block (2011) - Joe Cornish
This film's been on the radar for a while now. It stormed the SXSW convention and has been getting a lot of positive media attention. Well, believe the hype. It's incredible.
The concept is simple; Aliens invade a council block full of teenagers in South London. The result is stunning. First-time film director Cornish has done a brilliant job.
Given Cornish's background and the people involved (Nick Frost, Nira Park), you may think this is a comedic paraody like Shaun of the Dead (2004). Don't be fooled. The comedy takes a back seat; this is a dark, jumpy sci-fi thriller, with some scenes that are completely unexpected.
Cornish has seemlessly bought all the tension and suspense of your typical Hollywood sci-fi to British shores, and he's done it amazingly well. The aliens are creepy and nothing like you've ever seen before. The pace never drops and the scares are real. And our heroes aren't Bruce Willis or Will Smith- they are that gang of hoodies you crossed the street to avoid yesterday. Each and everyone one of them is brilliant, but our main protagonist Moses really stands out. Newcomer John Boyega portrays him with a great but quiet strength and confidence as he tries to deal with the chaos around him.
There are laughs in there mainly courtesy of Luke Treadaway's Brewis or Alex Esmail's Pest, both brilliant. And you may find yourself laughing at the start of the film with the completely stereotypical 'hoodie' dialogue. But pretty soon, you'll be talking like them. Trust.
That's because Cornish doesn't make these characters stupid or bad. He spent a year in youth centres getting to know kids like the ones you see. He shows these guys are clever and portrayed in a sympathetic light; there's a brutual reminder towards the end of the film that at the end of the day, these guys are just kids. And you will find yourselves completely on their side- I beg you not to cheer when that firework flies down the corridor or when they take to the streets on whatever they can get their hands on.
What really makes this film though, is the direction. Cornish's take is refreshing, when don't need that big helicopter shot or that massive explosion to get us on the edge of our seats; we get right in on the action, running down the stairwell or jumping over walls with these guys. Dark creeping lighting adds brilliantly to the atmosphere. A council block has never looked more beautiful and just wait for the stunning slow-mo finale...
A film hasn't blown me away like this for a while. Cornish proves that you don't need a big budget to make an amazing sci-fi thriller, and reminds the world once again, that British film is still alive and kicking.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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