Film Reviews

Attack the Block

• Rating:
• Director: joe cornish
• Starring: Jodie Whittaker
• Details: UK / 88mins (16).

Chek it: Atak Da Blok iz da bom, like. Trust. Believe. Get me, bruv? Probably not, but once you're up to speed on the lingo in Attack The Block, Joe Cornish's (of The Adam And Joe Show fame)debut becomes a nifty little sci-fi horror. In between the scares and the blood, there are some laughs to be had too.
On a housing estate in Brixton, a gang of teenage hoodies – headed up by the fearless Moses (Boyega) – happen across an oddity one night while mugging nurse Sam (Whittaker). 'Something' plummets into a car and attacks the gang before it succumbs to their boots and punches. That 'something' turns out to be an alien and just as the boys flout their discovery, they learn that this is a small alien that dwarfs in size to its buddies - black, wolf-like creatures with teeth that glow in the dark - that are crashing down everywhere. It's a fully-fledged alien invasion (bizarrely localised to their block) and because the cops don't believe them it's up to this gang of tearaways to save the world.
What we have here is a no-nonsense, lean sci-fi romp that likes to splatter blood as often as it can. Once it kicks off – and it takes a little while to do so – it's an extended chase sequence interrupted only by welcome moments of humour. Cornish goes for the classic horror – keeping the alien off screen for as long as possible – but this tactic is dictated by the movie's sometimes-obvious budget constraints. The aliens are charcoal black – almost shapeless things with only theirrazor-sharp, fluorescent teeth indicating which end is up. Frustrating on one hand as there is an urge to get a good decent look at what the boys are up against, but this is a B-movie after all and the lack of visuals can add to the mystery and the fun.
Nick Frost's stoner might be in the poster and all over the trailer but those thinking of heading along because of him will be let down as he only as a few scenes, and making dangerous hoodlums the heroes of the day isn't easy to sit with. Cornish, though, proves he can turn in an entertaining movie on a nothing budget – let's see what he can do with some cash in his back pocket.

Review by Gavin Burke