Even if you’ve been only half paying attention, you should already know by now that Joe Cornish‘s feature film debut “Attack The Block” is already something of a cult classic and it hasn’t even hit theaters in the U.S. yet. Making its world premiere and playing to rave reviews at SXSW (where we first caught up with it) the film has continued to build its buzz with numerous advance screenings and festival appearances (we recently saw it again at Fantasia) and in case you have any doubt, we’re here to tell you: Yes, it is that good.
Partly inspired by a carjacking he suffered in 2001, and partly by both M. Night Shyamalan‘s “Signs” and John Sayles’ unmade script “Dark Skies,” Cornish’s film mixes newcomers, most notably John Boyega and Alex Esmail, as leads Moses and Pest, with more established names like Jodie Whittaker, Nick Frost and Luke Treadaway in the tale of a gang of teens who protect their hood from an onslaught of invading aliens. It’s a nifty, smartly constructed film that even in its crisp eighty-eight minute run time finds time both for the alien action thrills you’re looking for, while creating some complex characters (the film opens with our protagonists mugging a woman) you wind up actually caring about. The new trailer and clip do a great job of transmitting the loose, grimy vibe of the film that doesn’t spoil the great set pieces that await audiences.
Smart, fun and utterly thrilling, “Attack The Block” is the summer movie for people who don’t like summer movies (or actually like a bit of substance with their spectacle). It opens on July 29th in limited release, check out the vids below.
