I was bored recently, so I checked through my copious selection of movie channels to see if there was anything decent on (there almost never is). So I saw something listed called Attack the Block, and it said it was a monster movie, and it got a very high rating from the guide. Um, a monster movie with a high rating? That almost never happens. So I thought I’d give it a chance. I’m glad I did!
Attack the Block is great! It’s one of the best monster movies I’ve seen in years. I have a quibble here and there with it, but it’s really just about the fake alien monster someone wears on their back towards the end of the movie. But this movie works on so many levels, it’s almost amazing! It’s a great social commentary movie. It’s a great crime drama. It’s a great coming-of-age story. It’s a great monster movie. It’s a great alien invasion movie. It’s a great siege movie. In fact, it’s so good, I’m surprised to find it wasn’t a theatrical hit (!). The story is fun, the characters are great, the effects are almost all completely realistic and believable. Oh, and it’s acted so well, you almost feel like you’re there yourself with the characters in this situation, even if you’re watching it on a small TV set (!). I haven’t felt like that for a while!
I don’t want to give away too much here, but the monsters are wonderfully realized, even if they’re not exactly genius-level extraterrestrials. This is the best movie monster for a while! They’re these furry beasts that are like a combination gorilla-bear-werewolf, they act like werewolves, and their fur is so dark black, there’s nothing but a silhouette of them even in the light. (Fans of Robot Monster will get a taste of how it could have been done right!) It’s wonderfully scary and ferocious to do it like that. And their sharp teeth glow in the dark (!). I was expecting to think it was lame, but I was very pleasantly surprised!
I hope all these actors go on to great things after this: they deserve it! Oh, and one of the most effective things about this movie is that it depicts the alien monsters and the police as being just as scary (and all in black)! Most of the characters are from a street gang, and they’re all afraid of the cops. So they’d rather fight the alien menace alone, rather than call the police for backup, because they know the police would just blame and arrest them for everything, especially since they’re in a local gang that engages in criminal activity. (Talk about realistic social commentary!)
But I really hope this movie becomes an underground hit! Everyone involved deserves a lot of credit, and the whole thing is loads of fun! And on that budget, it becomes clear that you don’t need big studio backing to make a great horror movie. So why can’t it be done very often?
