Image: Big Talk Productions / Kobal / Shutterstock / Mashable composite
It’s never aliens…until it is.
May 11 marks 10 years since the premiere of Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block, a film that is more watchable upon each visit and more than holds up after a decade. John Boyega stars in his feature debut as Moses, a South London teenager whose block becomes the target of an alien invasion. With the help of his friends, hapless weed dealers, and uptight neighbor Sam (Jodie Whittaker), Moses prepares to protect the neighborhood from a lethal attack.
In many ways Attack the Block, is an ideal movie. It’s a tight 90 minutes, cuts straight to the plot, and doesn’t bother with superfluous characters. Where the aliens are from and why they’re here doesn’t matter; what matters is protecting the block and destroying these “gorilla-wolf motherfuckers” one by one. The film is not explicitly horror, comedy, sci-fi, or social commentary, but it effortlessly draws on the best of these genres. It’s a powerhouse debut from Boyega, Cornish, and composer Steven Price, whose synth soundtrack propels the film’s action.
What stands out so firmly 10 years later is the film’s unapologetic voice. The cast and production team share a confidence well beyond their industry experience — the kind of confidence that comes easy when you know you’ve got the goods. Boyega, then a teenager, dominates every scene with his presence. Cornish mixes jump scares with laugh-out-loud dialogue, an unabashedly British sensibility holding it all together. The contrasting blue and yellow lighting and Tom Townend’s tense camera tracking are all bold choices — and every single one pays off.
Not everyone can relate to Moses’ fierce loyalty to his block, but the film makes it easy to understand. Whenever Moses goes outside, he’s attacked or arrested; the film opens with him and his friends mugging Sam for some extra cash and goods. The block is the only place where Moses feels at all safe or respected. He loathes the fear in Sam’s eyes when she interacts with him, knowing that they’re trapped in a vicious cycle.
In his darkest moment, Moses wonders if the creatures were sent by the government “to kill Black kids… First they sent drugs to the ends, then they sent guns, now they sent monsters to get us,” he says. In the moment, it doesn’t sound far-fetched at all; it’s the logical escalation of an unfair fight that Moses was born into and sees no way out of.
Attack the Block was hailed as a cult classic from the start, also enjoying positive critical reception and box office returns. It’s been a monumental decade for Boyega and Whittaker especially — the first Black Star Wars lead and the first female Doctor Who. Ten years later, Attack the Block is a shining example of the best chances filmmaking can take: untapped talent and unlikely stories brought to life by people who believe in the impossible.
Attack the Block is streaming free with ads on Tubi, and is also available on Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play, and more.