Attack the Block (2011) User Reviews (413)

Attack the movie if you must, just not what you imagine the movie to be

[Matti-Man · 7/10 · 6 July 2014]

I always like to check out the other reviews before I submit my opinion of a movie on IMDb. And what I found while checking through the other reviews of ATTACK THE BLOCK here is that if the reviewer likes the film, everyone else tags the review as not helpful, and if the reviewer hates the film, usually taking the film's plot points out of context or just plain misrepresenting what happens in the film, then everyone finds the review helpful.

Here's the thing - the question is, "Was the above review useful to you?" Is is NOT "Do you AGREE with the above review?" Right, now I've set the scene for everyone here to find my review not helpful, I'll press on ...

I like ATTACK THE BLOCK ... a lot. I liked it when I first saw it on Channel 4 in 2012 and I've watched it again a couple of times since, the most recent being last night. It never fails to entertain me.

I will however take issue with a couple of the other reviews here ... for example:

"The girl they tried to rob and rape comes asking for seconds". Nonsense. No one tried to rape Sam, at least, not in this movie. The reviewer might not like the characters - I don't like them much either - but no need to try to prevent others from watching the film by misrepresenting what happens on screen.

Another reviewer says that having the protagonists not apologise for mugging her "drives a huge wedge between them and the audience". But to do that would have been lazy writing on Cornish's part, turning essentially irredeemable characters in to "tame" cuddly nice guys. This kind of inner city feral teenagers are not nice people. They are what they are, not what you'd like them to be.

The same reviewer says that "The police are especially hard done by, they are portrayed as totally corrupt and not to be trusted under any circumstances". This is simply not true. The only two police officers who have anything to do here are the two who arrest Moses for mugging Sam. Which he did. We saw him do it. If he claims he's an innocent victim of a brutal police force ... WE know he's lying. So how are the police hard done by? I'm mystified.

Same reviewer finds "disturbingly strong misogynist atmosphere" because "The only criticism they (the boys) face is from weak female characters who are unable to defend themselves, and who rely on the various male gang members for protection from violent outsiders." Gee, I dunno, looked they were doing okay, when Tia and Dimple take down an alien with a standard lamp and an ice skate. Didn't need much help from the boys ...

A reviewer from the US says, "we're supposed to not like these street punks at first, and then admire them as they redeem themselves". Nope, that's only in Hollywood movies. I don't think Cornish expects you to like these characters any better by the end of the movie. But what we do see here is a glimmer, the slightest chance, that these characters might be able to turn their lives around. What we don't know is whether they will take the opportunity.

A reviewer from South Africa says, "The dialogue was apparently authentic, but it sounded made up, like the droogs' language in A Clockwork Orange." Yes, the dialogue IS authentic. I live in Tower Hamlets (on the north side of the river from Oval) and that's exactly what the feral teenagers talk like. So I'd say the issue isn't with the dialogue, it's with the reviewer. It only sounded made up to that reviewer. So they're essentially criticising Joe Cornish for being accurate.

But enough ...

ATTACK THE BLOCK is just exactly what it looks like. A low-budget, cleverly-written alien attack movie set in the inner-city, deprived area of South London. The lead characters are products of that environment. Marginalised teenagers who have somehow become convinced that education has nothing to offer and that the only way out of their situation is low-level crime and, very likely, an early death. They're not heroes. They're not redeemed by the events of the film. You CAN not like them, and it's doesn't make any difference. But they are characters I recognise ... raw and authentic. I wouldn't say they're Real, because they're aping the mannerisms of US rappers, but that IS how the kids down my endz act.

Don't take it so seriously. ATTACK THE BLOCK is not a searing social document. It's not a hard-hitting indictment of our times. It's just a bloody great sci-fi action movie. Stop criticising it for what it's not ...

Great fun

[ethanbresnett · 7/10 · 14 November 2020]

Attack the Block is one of those films that does exactly what it says on the tin - its a bunch of aliens attacking a bunch of roadmen in London. If this premise doesn't appeal to you, steer clear as the film isn't anymore complex or deep than that. I for one loved the premise. It was simple, effective, and entertaining!

The film has a great pace, with no messing about. Joe Cornish knew exactly what he wanted to do and got straight down to it. There was lots of good action, some great suspenseful scenes, and some neat chase scenes. At under an hour and a half long, Attack the Block never felt like it was dragging. It was zippy, fresh, and engaging.

I wasn't massively in love with any of the characters. They were pretty cliched at times, and didn't really get much development. They just were who they were. I must say though Joe Cornish captured the generation perfectly. All the language and behaviour felt very real and authentic. The acting was decent as well, with Jodie Whittaker as the standout for me.

My absolute favourite part of the film though was the design of the aliens. They felt so fresh and unique, and just looked very cool whenever on screen. The effects haven't aged at all in 10 years.

Attack the Block is a perfect film to sit back, switch off the brain, grab the popcorn and be thoroughly entertained.

Making the leap from "hi concept" to "cult classic"

[A_Different_Drummer · 8/10 · 8 June 2016]

First, this is the sort of flick the UK writers do so well and frankly don't do enough of.

Reminds me of the old saying, when Life gives you Lemons, make Lemonade.

London has blessed the UK film industry with one of the most diverse and interesting ecosystems on the planet. What, I have lost count, 14 distinct accents and counting? In return the industry has taken this raw material and produced a wide range of thrillers, most of which rely heavily for their impact on the violence element or the gang element.

So, who woke up one morning and said, hey, let's make the gang the good guys for a change ... instead of causing trouble they get to defend the country against aliens. And brimming with gang values, they will go it alone, they will not even ask for help.

Great premise, brilliant and engaging execution. It could have just been "merely" entertaining, but great writing, cast, acting and direction help it make the leap to cult classic.

The low IMDb rating is not merely wrong, it is seriously wrong. This is a fun film that can be watched more than once.

Surprised and Shocked

[Lolythax · 26 September 2011]

I watched this without knowing the production team, who worked on it, nothing. A friend just said 'you like sci-fi movies right? Here.' And I'll admit, for the first ten minutes, I was worried. The throw-back creature-feature title sequence being my main concern.

But after that wavery start, I watched over an hour of what I would consider to be one of the truest, bloodiest and certainly most adrenaline-packed horrors I've seen in a very very long time.

The main kids - the 'gang' - are very real and the kids' acting really shines. Moses, the lead, certainly leads us through a series of complex emotions, from hatred to forgiveness, and round again a few more times just for kicks. The actor who played him will be going places with a sullen wall-eyed expression that he still manages to convey so much meaning with.

As to the plot - well, most of the actual plot is there for comedy, and the moment of gratuity when the adults are plainly dumber than the kids (teenagers everywhere punch the air and laugh). I was expecting, as I watched the film with ever more pleasure, to be let down and have the aliens' presence left unexplained, as with many non-blockbuster horrors. But, in two mere sentences, the loose threads are tied and the finale is lead into all in one great sweep of fantastic writing.

Last, but definitely not least, the aliens themselves were phenomenal. There was a certain amount of keep-them-in-the-dark and leave-it-to-your-imagination, but there were also absolute gore-fest moments which were done superbly (though the squeamish may need to blink). The aliens were well designed and were flawlessly integrated into the movie. To be honest I don't even know if they were puppets or CGI - I was so caught up in the fast-paced running and fighting, into which they were so seamlessly included.

Definitely one to watch for fans of the genre, fans of the creators, or anyone looking for a thrill. I'll certainly be watching it again. And if you wanna read someone say it better than I just did - http://www.flickfilosopher.com /blog/2011/08/attack_the_block_ review.html (remove superfluous spaces) (contains language, in movie quotes).

A true lesson in how to make an engaging film with limited budget

[degeneraatti · 7/10 · 28 September 2014]

All aspiring film-makers should watch this. And those producing films for SyFy or Asylum should also take note.

First and foremost, we need characters. Characters that have each their own voice and emotions, all growing from their personal past. This makes the viewer care about what happens to them, root for them, and believe in them. It also takes a bit of the storytelling burden off the cinematography, as these characters can support the story in their part.

Secondly, a compelling story should be written. Compelling does not necessarily equal complex. A story should have events pan out in an order that presents at least some kind of logic and thought behind it. Twists and turns are okay, but they don't have to be gimmicks. This doesn't mean resorting to worn clichés, but have these engaging characters something to do. Something, that has some weight to it, so that the viewer stays focused for the length of the movie.

And third, add a bit of vision. A little quirk here and there brings the humanity of the characters, the story, and those making the film apparent, and creates the valuable bond between the finished movie and its' audience.

As we can see, none of these elements require much of a budget. So having a small budget should not be a constraint per se, but rather a source of ingenuity. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one excellent example, Attack the Block is another.

It is clear that they did not have the money for a plethora of awesome locations, top-notch CGI, or brand-name anything. But what they managed to do with what they had was fun and entertaining and well worth a re- watch: The lack of shooting locations was masked with a brilliant and logical reason for limited room; lack of awe-inspiring special effects was masked with more traditional skills, ie. use of light and sound, and going story first (everyone knows how annoying is the modern over-focus on CGI over human connection, even when the effects are great); and I have no reason to believe they were looking for cheap actors, but people with desire to go out and do their best and have some fun while at it.

This film is fresh and entertaining, and as stated in the beginning, a great lesson in how to make something great out of nothing much.

Monsters versus Monsters

[sol- · 6/10 · 17 May 2017]

Mutual distrust turns to uneasy alliance as an alien invasion forces a group of British teens to work together with a nurse who they mugged in this action thriller starring John Boyega as the leader of the teen gang. Boyega is just as effective here as in 'The Force Awakens', giving his hardened character a vulnerable, human side bubbling beneath the surface. The actors who play his young friends are well cast too. Jodie Whitaker is less effective as the nurse and Nick Frost is criminally underused, but in general, there is a lot to like about how the characters interact here. There are even some scattered comic moments to be had in how everyone from the teenagers' girlfriends to the local teen drug lord scoffs at their claims of being under alien attack. The gradual bonding between Whitaker and the teens, who she initially describes a "monsters", in the face of *real* monsters is where the film succeeds best though - so much so that the action sequences end up being a low point of the movie. Without any eyes and glowing sharp jaws, the creatures are quite unsettling to look at, but all the attack scenes become a little repetitive with the film sagging towards the middle. The movie certainly ends on a very high note, however, with a third act that potently pushes the film's single biggest message about teen thugs always being misunderstood and never properly recognised.

Entertaining

[janisjs7-183-844120 · 8/10 · 6 July 2014]

I thought this movie was quite entertaining, and actually funny in some parts. It's not a normal horror movie or alien invasion movie. It ends very satisfactorily, unlike most horror movies, and the plot is quite original played with talented actors in a setting that many of us are not so familiar with. If you like rap, you'll like the music throughout too. All the actors and main actress did very well. Thankfully I saw this with subtitles since I can't follow language from "the hood" very well. The only thing that didn't seem so real to me were the space creatures, but that gave for a good laugh. If you don't take this movie too seriously, it's a lot of fun. And there was "the moral of the story is..." thrown in, like lessons learned, rectifying mistakes, etc. All in all, it makes for a good Thursday or Friday night at the movies.

Great bit of Urban London B-Movie sci-fi

[joebloggscity · 7/10 · 17 November 2014]

B-Movies were once all the rage, but those days seem to have long gone. This is an update on those old much loved films, which takes a simple but outlandish idea, and fuses it with the modern London world.

We have here a set of young estate living lads who end up caught up with an alien invasion! The strange black furry creatures are attacking their tower block, and our unlikely urban heroes are as much looking out for their own lives as that of the others too!

The humour is good, the effects are fine and likable without being corny, the acting is great and you really begin to love the motley crew in this. They're never patronised, they talk in their own lingo and act like many others of their age do!

I really enjoyed it. I think this deserves more exposure, it's a fun film and will keep everyone entertained. Give it a go.

Watch it

[dillon-77085 · 9/10 · 8 November 2020]

Crackin film, idea perhaps not totally original, but few little twists to make it interesting, creature design is excellent simple but different and effective.

All performances are good, leads slightly better, Jodie Whittacker adds a nice dimension as a non gang member. But rest good solid back ups. Really liked it, variation on a theme, but a truly good one. Watch and enjoy.

Wow, so much better than expected!

[paulclaassen · 6/10 · 27 May 2020]

I must confess to have had a preconceived idea of what the movie would be about, and convinced myself I wouldn't like it even before watching it. I expected an action comedy in da hood with racist dialogue and annoying characters.

I couldn't have been more wrong! Although classified as a horror comedy, the horror outweighs the comedy by miles, and the comedy are merely humorist elements, and not the slapstick I expected.

Instead, what is offered here is a thrilling, action-packed, nail-biting horror thriller with the most unlikely bunch of heroes. The action hits you before even reaching the 5-minute mark, and never ceases. It literally is a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. Solid performances and a good script elevate the film way above some other films in the genre. John Boyega in particular was very good as Moses, the film's hero.

The soundtrack is vibrant and moves the film along at a fast pace. The visual effects and make-up are also excellent. 'Attack the Block' was an unforgettable movie experience, and thoroughly entertaining. It quite simply is a remarkable film. At least they also provided a rational explanation for why they were being attacked (something that bothered me in the beginning). Stunning final act!

I'm working class from south London and this has made me really angry (minor spoiler)

[queenofinformation · 1/10 · 24 December 2012]

Bar 'Nil by mouth' and the Bill you don't see much of South London on the screen so I was looking forward to this.

I was disappointed by the portrayal of the teenage characters. Setting up the main protagonists as violent little hood rats who put a knife to a girl loses audience sympathy / belief within the first half hour. Particularly mine, having been violently mugged in the car park of my flats a few years back. Believe me I wouldn't team up with the ?!**!! who did that to fight off a zombie apocalypse, let alone a few hairy aliens.

Worse it reinforces the stereotype that kids who live on council estates are stupid violent thugs. Not true and pretty insulting to the majority. I'm sick of this idea that if you're poor or grow up in a rough area you're OK with violence and gang culture, and I don't like seeing it glorified. The one dimensional characterisation - including the 'posh boy' - seems to based on some weird middle class media dream version of the UK.

What a wasted opportunity. maybe someone should buy Joe Cornish a dictionary for Christmas so he can look up 'anti hero'.

What a fun movie!

[arojasjr · 8/10 · 21 October 2020]

Simple stated it's a fun movie. Make sure you have your sub titles on to ensure you get the dialogue. I found this to be a an original story, set in South London, this small gang witnesses the beginning of an alien invasion in the housing block and set out to stop them and that's when you start to worry about them and cheer them on as they protect their home. Enjoy it for what it is a fun action adventure.

A delightfully offbeat British gem...

[bheadher · 7/10 · 23 June 2021]

Produced and distributed b Screen Gems, this British Scifi film is a merging of street punk and Science Fiction...it is done in the classic 'B' Film style, which makes the story even more bizarre, while the witty British droll humor shines through...

This movie is not your standard SciFi, and it doesn't mean to be...what it does is grab you with how offbeat the story is...and I liked that...

I started to root for the aliens

[Minty82 · 1/10 · 3 October 2011]

This film seems to glorify gang culture in the UK. I was quite optimistic when I started to watch it and came to the mugging scene. I took an immediate dislike to the characters but thought I would give it a chance as they were bound to redeem themselves later on in the film. They didn't. I was actually quite pleased when a few of them met their demise.

If I were the woman in that situation I certainly wouldn't want to help these scrotes after the abuse she still continues to receive when they ask, sorry, demand her help later on in the film.

The sfx were not too bad for a budget film and I will also give them credit for getting the character stereotypes spot on.

If you are worried about the chav gang culture in the UK then avoid this film. If you call your mates 'bruv' and own quite a few hoodies and terrorise communities then this film is for you.

Inner City vs Outer Space

[anett-faugli · 8 October 2011]

After reading the previous reviews of this movie, I am a bit surprised to see how many people didn't like it. They didn't care for the characters, because of their rude language, their clothes (Ooooh, hoddies:) and the fact that they are petty criminals. But this is a classic "bad guy turns hero" story with such a great written script and talented young actors. The casting director did an excellent job finding these kids. They are real, natural and very believable in portraying being born and raised in Londons Ends. I found myself actually caring about the characters and their destiny throughout the movie. "Attack the Block" is a horror comedy about an alien invasion. Aaaah, you think, I've seen this before! "Bodysnatchers", "The Faculty", and not to mention the great TV-series "Falling Skies". But this movie is different. The focus in the film lies with the characters, and their reaction to having their street invaded by aliens. The aliens them self are kind of cheesy, but scary in a funny way. I expected Nick Frost to have a bigger role, I loved him in "Shaun of the Dead" and "Paul". But he never disappoints me, funny as always :) I really enjoyed this movie, and if you like movies like "Shaun of the Dead" and "Tucker & Dale vs Evil", you'll probably enjoy this as well.

Favourite quote from the movie " Oh man! All this weed and no skins... This is the worst day of my life!"

From The Hood To The Big Screen!

[BrnzReviews · 7/10 · 21 May 2021]

This movie is hilarious, being a South londoner myself I understand the humour thats played here and its very relatable. I watched this with my girlfriends granddad after watching it a few times and even he was laughing his head off and hes around 60 odd so you will thoroughly enjoy catching this one.

The block is the turf and those watching that are the gangs only this time its not humans after their skin its aliens!

I highly recommend that you watch this its a great comedy.

The most fun I've had this year.

[Rockwell_Cronenberg · 6/10 · 3 September 2011]

Old school dopeness. It's like Goonies meets Shaun of the Dead meets Independence Day. The whole alien invasion thing has been recycled as hell lately, but Joe Cornish found a way to make this thing feel so fresh and unique once again by containing it to such a unique setting and having this young group of hoodlums fighting back. None of it feels like it's been done before and as a result the film doesn't get dull for a second.

The less-than-90 minute running time is perfect for something this small, never letting us stop having fun in order to make time for pointless romantic subplots or unnecessary characters. There is never a dull moment in this, a film that I have no problem saying is the most fun I've had so far this year. Whoever cast these kids deserves some sort of medal because they are all fantastic and for most of them it's their first job. John Boyega in particular, in the lead role as the head of the group, is fantastic.

At first I was skeptical about the Jodie Whittaker character and her constant run-ins with the group but by the end I really embraced her dynamic with Moses and actually found myself getting surprisingly emotional at the end. The whole thing is just vibrant, exciting and so much intense entertainment. There are a solid amount of laughs throughout, but it's not even a film about trying to make you laugh or trying to scare you. It's just about having fun and it succeeds so admirably. It feels real old school and I loved every moment. Everyone should watch this.

An R-rated Take on the Spielberg family movie

[TheRedDeath30 · 8/10 · 29 September 2014]

Having grown up in the 80s, I was exposed to a whole gamut of movies that followed the same basic plot construction and format, in which a group of young kids discovers (or hopes to discover) something fantastical or alien and generally ends up saving the world. Movies from ET and GREMLINS to THE GOONIES and THE MONSTER SQUAD all fit loosely into this same paradigm.

What director Joe Cornish has done so masterfully here is to take that pattern and turn it on its' head. Unlike another recent similar movie, SUPER 8, which closely mimicked those 80s movies so much as to be a direct homage, Cornish decides to use the basic framework but to provide the viewer with twists to make it new and refreshing.

The first of those twists seems to be the most controversial with viewers in that this is not a group of precious, innocent kids who "come of age" while they save the world. Instead, Cornish drops his alien invasion straight into the middle of the hood (the block, call it what you will), and the group of protagonists that we follow are far from innocent. In fact, we meet them in the middle of mugging a young woman.

A WHOLE LOT of reviewers on this site seem to focus in on how "unlikable" the main characters are and that this turns them off from enjoying the movie. I admit that I find this hard to understand. Let's take a movie like GOODFELLAS, which revolves around a gang of very hardened criminals with few redeeming qualities, yet this is considered a modern film classic. Part of me starts to wonder if this is more a case of white, suburban, middle- class viewership not wanting to cheer for a group of realistically portrayed black kids from the ghetto, but I don't want to go too far down that avenue.

I found it to be a refreshing twist to use in a movie like this. I'm tired of the same plot formula where bland suburban kids save the world while dealing with the same real-life problems (the abused kid, the kid from a broken home, etc). Instead, for me, as a viewer, I started with an unfavorable view of these kids, but grew to like them as the movie goes on and they find their humanity, as they realize how important their neighborhood is to them and how important it is to save it.

The other huge twist here, from the typical Spielberg formula is that Cornish is not afraid to kill off his kids, which you never see in those cookie cutter movies. In fact, they die violently and with ample gore, not shying from their deaths one bit. It was shocking to see as a viewer who is used to this formula keeping the kids alive, even when in obvious peril.

In order for this to work, though, it needed more than clever twists on well-worn patterns. It needed to bring us a really horrific monster(s), which it does in spades. I love the creature design here. I love that they didn't go with the green alien with tentacles cliché, or any of the other designs you've seen over and over. These aliens are terrifying as they chase our heroes. The lack of eyes, the glowing teeth, the blackness of their fur, the realistic movement (praise to Cornish for use of practical effects in lieu of CGI). I absolutely love the aliens in this movie.

I'm finding that my opinion improves more each time I see it and I think this is one of the better horror movies made in the past ten years.

Refreshingly small-scale alien invasion horror film

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 7/10 · 24 May 2012]

Alien invasions are a dime a dozen these days. Studios feel self-assured that the public takes note on the calendar every time a movie promises to lay waste to a major metropolis at the hands of angered or ruthless extraterrestrials.

So with studios trying to one-up each other by expanding the scope of skyscraper carnage, what a peculiar choice for Joe Cornish to go microcosm and set "Attack the Block" in a small sector of South London.

Budget limitations might have capped Cornish's threshold for mayhem, but based on the tone of his film, he wouldn't have used bigger funds to up the scale of destruction. He offers us "Attack the Block" as character and horror-driven counter-programming to today's invasion blockbusters.

The alien menace in this film is markedly different, as are its protagonists, an inherently unlikable gang of South London teens. While they're mugging a woman (Jodie Whittaker), a strange creature crashes on the street right next to them. When it lashes out, the boys promptly kill it and then drag it to the drug dealer (Nick Frost) living in their block in hopes of finding out what it is and upping their street cred, but soon after, several shadowy beasts with glowing blue teeth fall from the sky and bound after them.

Most of the action takes place in or around the block, and few people other than the central characters get roped into the invasion. In that sense the film plays out more as a horror film in which the gang (and coincidentally the woman they mugged) must fend off and outsmart the creatures, who are trying to pick them off. Cornish balances suspense, action and gore to keep the genre a bit more ambiguous.

What's most impressive about the story is that the characters grow on us over time. Normally it's hard to care about the characters in a horror or alien invasion film unless they are well developed, but here's a case in which the characters truly develop as the film wears on and by the end we're quite fond of them.

John Boyega as the gang leader, Moses, steals the show. He has the look and temperament of a young Denzel Washington. Although we never truly understand who he is—at least not until near the end—we sense the pain behind his eyes and his life's frustrations as he stands up to the aliens. Other characters, notably Pest (Alex Esmail) serve to add comedy and diversify the personalities to make the film more interesting.

Parts of the film drag and much of what happens could be deemed predictable, but Cornish puts a certain spirit into the film, not to mention a greater social message about how to treat other people that most big-budget films tend to graze over. Combined with some fun stylization to the action and events, this is the kind of film that's easy to root for, even if its far from mind-blowing.

~Steven C

Thanks for reading! Visit moviemusereviews.com

It's Raining Gollums!

[richardchatten · 8/10 · 4 January 2020]

Anticipated by 'Assault on Precinct 13' and the brief scene in 'Mars Attacks!' when two jive-talking kids take over the defence of the White House. The idea that it would take an alien invasion to tear mere humans from each other's throats is wittily executed; and the aliens themselves refreshingly distinct from the usual slavering Alien copies while still more than sufficiently scary.

Surprisingly Charming British Gem

[im-71950 · 7/10 · 1 June 2021]

I walked into this movie with pretty high expectations and I am happy to say it met them. I obviously wasn't expecting a thought-provoking masterpiece but for what was was being advertised, it exceeds with flying colours.

The premise is simple- Aliens attack a small estate in South London, a bunch of teenagers try to kill them. This movie has such a simple premise but is able to stretch so much out of it, something commendable.

One thing I think also deserves recognition is the dialogue. Since the main character's are all teenagers, writer/director Joe Cornish researched for months on end in order to try and recreate the ireverrency of the way young people talk. I am a young person at the time of writing and I can confirm this movie's dialogue is almost identical to the way me and some of my peers speak with each other, something I feel is sorely lacking in other teen-centred movies.

Furthermore, the performances are pretty good. John Boyega gives a solid performance and the child actors all seem to have a genuine rapport which adds to the quality.

In terms of location, the film is very clever. By shooting in this one estate block, with neighbours who live with each other, the film gets a real community and intimate feel, as if you've known these people your whole lives.

Another great thing to see is the alien designs, enough time in the shadows so it can be left to the imagination but detailed enough to create that sense of dread.

The characters however, feel pretty bland and without motivation. The opening scene of them mugging Sam really makes them unlikeable for the first half of the film, and while their characters do develop slightly from the middle, the beginning left a sour taste in my mouth. On top of that, O found the Cinematography passable and nothing really exceptional.

If you're looking for a dumb action movie, look no further than this one. If you compared it to other dumb action movie, this one would be high-tiered but in general it's just passable. Definitely check it out if you're in the mood for it.

Human scumbags should have been devoured by the aliens

[neo-karoshi · 1/10 · 16 October 2011]

I was truly disgusted at the attempt of justifying the behaviour of hoodies in the UK. Four of our five "heroes" live with their parents and are well provided for. The fifth thug (Moses) lives by himself and this is supposed to justify the fact that he put a knife to a woman with the help of his friends. If you can have an education and instead of making the most of it choose to become a ridiculous brain-dead thug, do not blame the police, the establishment or the bloody aliens. If you want to know who is guilty, find yourself a mirror. If your parents are so useless that are unable to control or even find out what their children are after, then they should be heavily fined. There is no excuse: you get what you deserve. To make things worse, Moses had a "intellectual" moment and claims that aliens have been brought by the police to kill black people in the same way that drugs were introduced for the same purpose. What a phenomenal moron!

Don't understand most of these reviews

[seanmaguire-53921 · 8/10 · 6 June 2015]

The film was complete, I firmly believe that a lot of the blow back about the characters having criminal roots, petty as they may be, miss the point of the film. Growing up in city/public housing, with or without a parent around is not something that is easily related to the walks of every day life that we all consider normal. Joe Cornish captured the entire upbringing that so many (my brothers and I included) children had/have had to, just because you have a parent does not mean you,or they have money, growing up in those sort of neighborhoods either builds character or destroys it. The fact that I have read so many reviews that consist of hatred towards a group of confused under-privileged 15 year olds just goes to show that part of the film is lost on a certain demo......the film killed in theaters as far as experience, and I'm yet to find a person under 50 who has a sour word to say about it. Basically, if you were born after 1982........you'll love it, i almost promise that, unless your looking for the no fun zone.

Confidently directed by newcomer Cornish

[tomgillespie2002 · 7/10 · 6 October 2011]

This neat little movie by first time director Joe Cornish (in the UK many will be aware of him from his late '90's TV show 'Adam and Joe'), is a very straight forward alien invasion picture. The angle is simply in it's setting. We are introduced to a bunch of generic, stereotypical 'hoodies' on a London high-rise estate. After an attempt to mug a young woman, lights begin to fall from the sky. What ensues is a battle between the "yoof" protecting their block.

This is no great film, the general idea, and it's execution are standard for the genre. What is evident is Cornish's confidence in directing. The actors "under the hoods" are quite brilliant, displaying both the hard exterior that they portray on the "streets", but also their tender side, whilst along the way highlighting the reasons these young men are so disenfranchised; they are all from broken homes. This is quite a poignant issues when juxtaposed with the scenes of riots we saw in London this summer.

It must be hard to come up with new 'alien' monsters these days. We've seen in recent years some diabolically b******s monsters, but the creatures in this film are different and quite exception. Wolf-like, they seemingly have no eyes, and are completely black. Much of the early part of the film we see only shadows, silhouettes, until they open their mouths, displaying glow-in-the-dark gnashers.

Whilst not a ground breaking cinematic masterpiece, or even a great film, it has much to love. It has charm, some good performances, and the tension is palpable at times. It will be interesting to see what Cornish does next (apart from the co-writing job on Spielberg/Jackson's Tintin films with Edgar Wright).

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Sarf Londoners and muggers only

[alistairc_2000 · 1/10 · 27 May 2011]

May Contain Plots spoilers I sat in a 1000 seat cinema with six other people to see this turgid nonsense. At the start of the movie this gal get mugged and threatened by a gang of thugs. They steal her money and humiliate her. She managed to escape but I felt that they also wanted to gang rape her as they told her to come back as they had not finished with her.

If I was going to make a movie about Aliens attacking earth I would make the hero's believable and likable. Then thugs duff up and murder a defenceless alien. As first contact situations go these thugs treat our first alien visitor as just another plaything in their pathetic lives. After they murder the pregnant alien they parade its body through the streets much like a serial killer would collect trophy and then display it for their sick satisfaction.

Then the Alien's pals decide to take revenge. Fair dues to them I was on their side and wanted them to win. Every time another thug died I whooped with joy. The aliens arrive without a spaceship and appear as meteors but can be killed with fireworks. Really this does not follow the logic of the story.

The worst British movie of the last 50 years and yes I am saying that Love honour and obey was a Brit flick. If you live in Sarf London and say words like Blud. If you think being in a gang is cool this is the movie for you. Also if you IQ is in single figures your gonna love this but you will be too thick to read this review. If you do not live in London/are over 25/ have a brain/ you are gonna hate this movie In the end you cannot polish a turd.