Attack the Block

Under the unsuspecting guise of a schlocky horror movie, Attack the Block serves as a strikingly profound commentary on the nature of race relations and cultural homogeneity in modern England. Set amidst the backdrop of low income housing known as the "Block" in London, the movie exhibits a sly sense of humor that allows the director to present a unique look at the misunderstood youth culture of urban London. The movie follows Moses (Lonely Londoners anyone?), a young black teenager, and his improvised gang of friends as they defend the Block from alien invaders that threaten to destroy their homes. The aliens prove to be surprisingly memorable creatures: ape-like and eyeless with only a row of neon fangs to reveal their presence. In a particularly excellent scene, the children stand over an aliens corpse and marvel at how "black" it is, like staring into the void of space, the creatures have the consistency of ink and feel suitably foreign.

Throughout the film, Moses and his friends are continually persecuted for their use of slang. People immediately assume the worst from their crew due to the sense of otherness exhibited by their speech but this shared language bonds them to one another in powerful ways. The group is made up of both black and white children, many from stable and caring households. But still they all engage in delinquent activities like smoking marijuana in an effort to ply themselves to images of power otherwise inaccessible from their working-class status. At the beginning of the movie, we see the group mug an unsuspecting white woman who is later revealed to be a citizen of the Block. After the aliens begin invading, they cross paths once again and the children reveal that the mugging had only occurred because they believed the woman to be a wealthier white woman who had no need for her belongings. Her affiliation with the Block changes everything in the eyes of the children and she is immediately accepted as a friend.

Much of the movie feels reminiscent of The Riots. Attack the Block has an unshakable devotion to tell the unspoken side of the story of racial conflict in urban England. The children all speak in an accent that blends cockney and Caribbean inflections as well as frequent references to in-jokes regarding youth culture to special kind of speech just for the Block. The naturalistic dialogue feels fresh and believable throughout the movie and often feels comparable to the Lonely Londoners, with the careful inclusion of unique accents and terms. As a result, characters that could easily feel cliche instead feel vital and alive. Their quirks and senses of humor all shine through their fantastically unique speech. Critically, their style of speech is not exclusive to a single racial group. The children all employ the mode of speech in attempt to create an aloof coolness separate from their lives in relative poverty. Unfortunately, American distributors seemed to miss the point of the slang entirely and opted to include subtitles for the movie in certain markets. The film takes dialogue that might seem unpleasant or difficult for some viewers to enjoy and presents it as pridefully unique and capable of wielding impressive power. Also notable, is the one white child led by Moses thorough the movie who exists as a vital part of an otherwise completely black crew.  No one ever seems to make anything of this in the movie, he's just another kid who talks funny.

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