Attack The Block Review

Attack The Block has its own unique feel about it, in that it is different to most of the other films around.
It includes aspects of both a sci-fi horror and an adventure comedy, as well as getting across the way in which teenagers are stereotypically represented in England today.
At first thought, this may seem a bit too much just thrown together, and also very hard to pull off tastefully, but Joe Cornish does the job perfectly.

The opening scene of the film introduces us to a gang of five teenagers.
On Bonfire Night, Sam (Jodie Whittaker) is mugged by these same few on her way home.
However, she is given the chance to escape from the attack, as something mysterious falls from the sky and crash-lands into a nearby car.
The leader of the pack, Moses, decides to check for any valuables he can take from the car, but instead, comes across a small creature.
The gang start to chase the creature, and end up killing it, thinking that this is the end of their trouble,
However, things have just begun.

Leading critics have credited the film in many ways, expressing that it is 'a doozy, offering tight and imaginative camerawork, electric thrills, and a sharp, twisty script that plays like a social satire', that 'Science-Fiction buffs seeking a change of pace and fans of British pop culture shouldn't miss it', and that the movie 'wants and needs to come at you like a beast in the dark' and that you should 'allow it' to.

My own personal opinion of the film is much similar to those already mentioned; that despite the fact that it is a bit 'out-there' in terms of mainstream film, it should not be discredited as sloppy or too overbearing, as the characters create a sense of realism throughout the far-fetched plot, and the special effects are nothing to grumble about, either - although the budget of the film was very low and the creatures were made without the use of CGI, this is not one of the most important things, as the creatures are not actually visible as often in the film as you may expect them to be, and the focus is on their glow-in-the-dark teeth.
The fact that we do not see these creatures very much allows us as the audience to use our imagination and create the tension for ourselves, with the help of the fantastic backing music and tremendous acting.

The soundtrack that was made for the film was composed by Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton of Basement Jaxx, the electronic dance music group, but was carefully crafted to sound like classic 'film music' too, despite their pop-urban background.

Also, although Cornish took a risk by hiring so many first-time actors, they all played their roles exceedingly well and gave each character a sense of individuality; the audience was able to 'connect' with these characters and see past their unlikable first impressions.
As well as this, Cornish decided to cast a few familiar faces, including Nick Frost, to give the audience a reason to watch the film in the first place and to make them feel more comfortable, rather than just throwing them in at the deep end with no expectations other than what they had seen from the trailers.
My favourite character was Pest, because he was one of the few who brought a little light-hearted comedy to the story, and he seemed to be very respectful and loyal, for example, when he holds the door open for Sam, and when he sticks up for Moses at the end.

Overall, I thought the film was wonderfully constructed, every aspect of which complimented the others (the acting, soundtrack, script etc. went well together), and it was interesting to watch, as I had never seen a film like it.
I would rate the film 4 out of 5 stars, crediting not only Cornish who pulled everything off brilliantly despite being his first project, but everybody who worked on the film, as well.