In the grand tradition of genre films throughout history,Attack the Block(2011) flew somewhat under the radar upon release. While the movie generated some decent buzz in the U.K., it didn’t exactly catch fire in the United States. Some audiences cited the film’s use of dense British street slang as a barrier for entry, but the U.S. distributor undeniably hampered the film’s success by putting it in only eight theaters nationwide on opening weekend. Luckily, many prominent film critics were hip to the film right out of the gate.Roger Ebertgave the film three stars, calling it an impressive first feature. Because of that critical recognition, and the film’s fun mix of comedy, sci-fi, and horror elements, it circulated amongst the freaks and geeks of the world and became a cult-classic before long.
The cultural value of the film has become so potent, in fact, that asequel is reportedly in developmentat StudioCanal and Film 4. Luckily, the core team will reunite as Joe Cornish is attached to direct, and John Boyega is attached to star. Considering the film’s cult-classic status and the potential sequel on the horizon, it’s time for an appraisal of just what made the original film work so well. There isn’t exactly a science to making a cult-classic, but the following equation isn’t too shabby: relying on a cast of naturalistic, then-unknown actors, implementing throwback practical effects, and injecting the narrative with salient social commentary. This formula ended up doing just the trick, creating an engaging, entertaining genre film that left theaudiences with a relevant and resonant takeaway.
Casting Unknown Actors
First and foremost, the film launchedJohn Boyegainto the stratosphere. After getting his start in this star role, he became a leading cast member in the newStar Warstrilogy, secured starring roles in epic stories likeDetroit(2017) andThe Woman King(2022), and portrayed complicated characters in indie projects like Steve McQueen’sSmall Axe(2020) series andAbi Damaris Corbin’sBreaking(2022). InAttack the BlockBoyega plays Moses, the leader of a small gang of neighborhood hoodlums. There’s also Pest (Alex Esmail), the smart alec with an affinity for firecrackers, Jerome (Leeon Jones), the bespectacled voice of reason, Dennis (Franz Drameh), the hothead with a death wish; and Biggz (Simon Howard), the small fry who spends a large chunk of the film hiding in a dumpster.
The gang of characters all have their own archetypal lanes to stick to, just likeThe Goonies(1985),Warriors(1979), or any other great young adult ensemble movie from yesteryear. And their hyper-specific London slang gives them a cohesive familial vibe ripe with inside jokes and unique banter. Cornish reportedly interviewed real London youths while writing the script, scribbling down their real world insight and slang words.
This cast of characters is first introduced when they mug a woman named Samantha (Jodie Whittaker). It becomes clear that these kids are mostly up to no good, and their funny banter and bombastic hi-jinks make them a fun bunch to watch regardless of morality. It’s then that a meteorite falls from the sky, causing the gang to investigate. A creature skitters away from the scene, and they’re not able to catch up with it just yet. Once they do, however, Moses asserts dominance and slays it with a samurai sword. Emboldened by their success, the gang arms themselves and heads back to the streets to look for more action. Responding to the mugging, the local police arrive and crack down on the gang. Moses takes the fall for the mugging, and the viewers get a glimpse of how the police treat these kids – like animals.
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Subtle Social Commentary
While the gang are initially painted as violent hooligans, the film quickly reveals its ulterior motive. During the mugging, we see Moses fumble with commanding the kind of intimidation tactics necessary to complete the act like a pro. At that moment, the violent invasion of the aliens begins before he would’ve had to hurt Samantha. The film seems to immediately suggest that there are real monsters out there, and the listless kids lurking around in urban areas are not them. As the film goes on, it’s revealed that Moses lives with an absentee uncle and essentially fends for himself. These kids are young, marginalized, and largely neglected by their parents. The narrative cleverly uses Samantha as a surrogate for the viewer. She has the realization on screen so that the audience can as well. In the beginning, she’s obviously reluctant to help the gang that mugged her. But after they apologize, return her belongings, and commit to protecting her from the real threat, she discards her reservations and joins forces with them.
In that sense, the film focuses on re-framing the kind of negative stereotypes associated with urban British youth at the time, but never in heavy-handed fashion. It’s useful to think ofAttackin context with an emerging trend in Englandat the time called Hoodie Horror, or violent films which often unjustly vilified working class youth. Hoodies became a shorthand for evil-coded characters, as hooded boys were often the villainous characters in these films.Attack, by contrast, aimed to paint these youths in a positive light by shedding light on the kinds of systemic failings that create these circumstances. It’s revealed that Moses is only 15 years old. These so-called “gang members” are only children, after all.
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Simple, Unique Effects
In addition to the salient and hyper-relevant social commentary undergirding the plot, the usage of simple but unique practical effects helps keep the film grounded while also hearkening back to the nostalgia of the ’80s. In developing the film, Cornish specifically thought a lot about his heroes’ first films: Ridley Scott’sThe Duelists(1977),Steven Spielberg’sDuel(1971),and James Cameron’sTerminator(1984). Each of these films were low budget, high concept, and kind of overly-ambitious as debuts. They all forced the directors to incorporate chases and fight scenes, but to be incredibly practical with how they portrayed action, genre or period specifics, and gore. Keeping that in mind, Cornish knew he wanted to make the monsters in the film entirely practical. He settled on dressing up stuntmen in fuzzy apelike suits, and outfitting each suit with large luminescent, animatronic jaws.
The practicality of the effects adds a nostalgic charm to the film, while quick cuts and a heavy reliance on shadowy spaces ups the horror. The monsters really did chase the kids down streets and hallways, which apparently helped truly scare them and elicit better performances. The monsters' glowing blue jaws are undoubtedly scary-looking, but more importantly, they were a unique invention, never done before or since. Even more frightening than the jaws is just how quickly these aliens traverse the urban landscape. They’re so fast that you hardly have a chance to get a good look at them, which again is a solution to budgetary constraints that also manages to add suspense to the plot. Similar to its spiritual predecessorShaun of the Dead(2004), the gang holes up in a makeshift bunker while the alien apocalypse rages offscreen. A sense of impending doom is palpable, making the expertly drawn dynamics of the gang, although trapped, endlessly entertaining.
In the end, Moses and his friends are arrested by the police for causing mayhem, but Samantha steps in to defend them. Again serving as a vessel for the film’s social commentary, she’s learned to see these young men as her neighbors, not violent perpetrators. Moses’ friends cheer for him, lifting him up and helping secure the confidence he lacked at the beginning of the film. The message of the film is clear, but again, not aggressively conspicuous. The characters are so rich and expressive that they breathe life into what could have easily been a preachy text. And the charm of the simple practical effects go a long way in reinforcing the underdog excellence of the film. Cornish was able to synthesize two powerful ’80s genres; sci-fi beat-em-ups likeTerminator(1984) andAliens(1986), and young adult ensemble adventure films likeThe Goonies(1985) andThe Lost Boys(1987).He combined and remixed these tropes, injected them with a relevant and politically salient point of view, and ended up creating a fresh classic for the new generation.
