‘Attack The Block’ is a top-drawer comedy
Attack The Block
(Cert 15, 84 mins, Sci-Fi/Comedy/Action)
Trainee nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker) is mugged on her way home by wayward lads Moses (John Boyega), Pest (Alex Esmail), Dennis (Franz Drameh), Jerome (Leeon Jones) and Biggz (Simon Howard).
The assault is cut short by a meteor shower and when the youths investigate, they come face to snout with a creature from another world.
The kids slay the snarling beastie and drag its lifeless, furry carcass to the top-floor drug den run by Hi-Hatz (Jumayn Hunter) and his layabout doorman, Ron (Nick Frost).
A second downpour of meteors heralds more creatures and the lads gleefully grab weapons and leap onto bicycles and mopeds.
Attack The Block is a riotous comedy from writer-director Joe Cornish, boasting some energetic action sequences in and around the tower block as well as hilarious one-liners.
Cornish plays loose and fast with conventions of the genre and he doesn’t think twice about sacrificing some of his young protagonists to the creatures to underline the clear and present danger.
Transforming young people, who are demonised by society, into the unlikely saviours of the hour is a nice touch.
The cast, mostly first-timers, have an appealing rawness in front of the camera and Frost and Luke Treadaway, playing one of Ron’s posh punters, create a goofy double act. For every generous splash of blood or edge-of-seat shock there is usually a belly laugh to dissipate the tension.
In space no one can hear you scream but in south London they can... they just choose to ignore you.
Rating: 4/5.
