Mr. DuLac’s review published on Letterboxd:
Even if it is an alien invasion, they're four foot high, blind and got kicked to death by a bunch of kids. We got nothing to worry about.
-Ron
Attack the Block is a great example of a formula film done right by a director that understands it. Take a group of people forced to fight for their lives from a threat (aliens, zombies, gang members, ect.) inside a location offering something to the film (pub, police station, military base, ect.) and don't forget to have some character development that is a direct result of what they are going through.
Sounds simple enough when you write it out like that, but this formula has more misses then hits. Joe Cornish, an entertainer of many talents, makes his feature film directorial debut while proving he understands how to make this work and he does it by simply not taking the easy route. He populates his main characters with unlikeable thugs making them work for their redemption.
John Boyega plays Moses, the self appointed leader of the group. He comes off as heartless early on during a mugging of a young woman played by Jodie Whittaker. Cornish could have played it safe populating his film with misunderstood youths, but instead chooses to give them little to no redeeming qualities to begin the film with. You know these people would not have changed if these otherworldly events hadn't taken place. Their redemption comes through hardship.
Jodie Whittaker also works her way from victim to valuable defender of the block with the others. Nick Frost is mostly there for comic relief and probably putting a bit of name recognition on his friend's film in a small role. The film has solid performances throughout with comedic moments sprinkled in. I'll admit that some of the British slang might have gone a bit over my head, but the story being told is universal.
Cornish maximizes his $13 Million budget with a simple but effective alien design. They seem to be furry creatures with fur so black that it absorbs the light and neon glowing teeth. Combined with the hissing and various noises they make they make for an incredibly fun B-Movie monster.