Darkmatters Review: Attack the Block

Attack the Block (15)

Director: Joe Cornish

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

There are worse things than hoodies loose on the streets tonight…

It seems that angry homicidal aliens have decided to attack earth – and the invasion begins on a run down London block of flats. But the feral aliens who look like the unholy love children of King Kong and the Wolfman - with added glowing jaws, have picked the wrong block.

This directorial debut from Joe Cornish (of Adam and Joe fame) brings his street cred brand of humour to the big screen and delivers a wonderfully watchable horror sci-fi comedy mash up. With key pals such as Edgar ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ Wright on board to produce, Attack the Block is a slick, brilliant monster fight-em-up which feels a lot like an British unseen John Carpenter classic.

Starting with the all-too-real-feeling street mugging of young nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker) by fifteen year old, knife wielding hoodie Moses (a powerful performance from newcomer John Boyega) the film brings a welcome sense of darkness and danger from the off. The yoof’s in Moses’s gang are your average bunch of teens who are presented as simply caught up in the drugs and crime lifestyle that permeates their estate.

"bad men on the block"

Joe Cornish creates a scarily believable snapshot of youth culture backed up with superbly authentic dialogue which really sucks you in and makes Attack the Block absolutely essential viewing for anyone who has / teaches / works with today’s teenage kids. Even with the mass of gory sci-fi killings punctuating the action, this film takes the time to let you get to know the young lead characters. They come out with lines like “I just want to go home, shut the door, and play some FIFA”… You might be surprised that despite their Daily Mail demonization, these hoodies are just really scared kids who have to keep up their ‘bad man’ images just to survive.

The special effects of the aliens are well handled and the threat of violent death at the jaws of the hairy extra terrestrials really amp up the tension. Attack the Block delivers some of the best human vs creature action to hit the big screen this year. I found myself grinning like a loon as the young heroes battle the aliens with fireworks, baseball bats and water pistols filled with petrol.

Everything comes together really well and builds to a satisfying climax – which is more cinematic than you’d expect from the fairly modest budget available. Attack the Block is your best ticket for hard edged sci-fi action mixed with street level laughs and a quality British feel good time.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö1/2

(4.5 - merk those negative preconceptions)...

Awesomeness öööö – bring the badman heroics bruv

Laughs öööö – I laughed out loud many times

Horror ööö – some gory scenes and lots of menace

Babes ööö – Jodie is nice

Spiritual Enlightenment öööö – hoodies can be heroes