It’s looking like this year will be remembered as the year of the alien invasion movies. So far there has been “Battle: Los Angeles,” “Transformers 3,” “Super 8,” “Cowboys and Aliens” and more. However, the best alien invasion movie so far this year is one most people might not have even heard of yet.
“Attack the Block” is an independent science fiction film from London, produced by Edgar Wright (“Shaun of the Dead” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”), and directed by newcomer Joe Cornish.
The film is about a group of South London hoodlums in an apartment complex called “the Block.” The group has to fight off an alien invasion. It’s not a particularly new plot, but the way Cornish handles it makes it unique.
Unlike most adventure films of this sort, the kids are not exactly favorable from the beginning. Pest (Alex Esmail), Dennis (Franz Drameh), Jerome (Leeon Jones), Biggz (Simon Howard) and their leader, Moses (John Boyega), are not typical heroes. The first scene of the movie involves the group of wannabe-gangsters mugging a helpless woman as she walks home from work. The characters are unlikable at the start, but when the first alien crashes to earth and the kids go after it, viewers will begin to understand their personalities and motives a bit more.
The aliens themselves are much different than those in an average alien invasion film. The characters in the movie describe them as “giant, black ape-wolf looking things,” which is a fairly accurate portrait of what they look like. The monsters are ape-like black blobs with no eyes and fluorescent glowing blue teeth. Other than the teeth, they’re almost impossible to see at night, which significantly adds to the suspense.
The group encounters a cast of colorful and hilarious characters as they move through the Block. These characters include stoners, a group of teen girls and a murderous drug-dealer named Hi-hat who wants Moses to be part of his crew. Each character serves a purpose as the film goes on and the aliens keep attacking. Some of the funniest moments of the movie come from two ten-year-olds who call themselves Probs and Mayhem, and want nothing more than to be thugs like the big kids.
The soundtrack is also fantastic. Composed by house-music group Basement Jaxx, the music gives the film a constant chaotic pace and is a crucial element to the chaos of the film. It’s one of the few movie soundtracks that is just as enjoyable on its own as it is during the film.
This movie is a cult-classic in the making. Someday people will go to Comic Con and buy action figures of the characters in this film. Their hilarious one-liners and personalities stick with viewers long after the credits have rolled, and leave them longing for London accents.
Currently, “Attack the Block” is only playing in New York and Los Angeles, but it is worth the drive.
