Attack the Block
A delinquent South London teenager and the nurse he mugged unite with his friends to repel a savage alien invasion of their housing estate.
Overview
An unlikely alliance forms in the face of an alien invasion, where survival means fighting back together.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- irreverent
- propulsive
- late night watch
- group movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Joe Cornish's confident debut, energetic genre fusion, character development, and John Boyega's breakthrough performance, while some wanted it to be funnier or scarier.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The South London apartment block functions as both the protagonists' home turf and the battlefield for the alien attack.
Moses begins as a gang leader involved in mugging Sam but is pushed toward protecting his neighbors and allies.
The film alternates savage creature attacks with banter, fireworks, gang bravado, and energetic action sequences.
Moses and his friends must transform territorial loyalty into cooperation while defending their block.
Films like Attack the Block, and why
District 9
shares a genre-mashup approach combining alien invasion science fiction, action comedy, youthful outsiders, and social commentary
Reservoir Dogs
shares irreverent ensemble action, street-level criminal characters, escalating comic violence, and cult genre energy
Shaun of the Dead
shares a british setting, horror comedy tone, fast-moving creature encounters, and working-class ensemble camaraderie
Super 8
shares coming-of-age themes, urban youth protagonists, monster threats, and inventive low-budget science fiction spectacle
Movie Details
- Director
- Joe Cornish
- Release Date
- 2011-05-11
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (2359)
Cast
- John Boyega
- Jodie Whittaker
- Alex Esmail
- Simon Howard
- Franz Drameh
- Leeon Jones
- Luke Treadaway
- Nick Frost
- Jumayn Hunter
- Selom Awadzi
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Attack the Block about?
- A delinquent South London teenager and the nurse he mugged unite with his friends to repel a savage alien invasion of their housing estate.
- What is Attack the Block like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Attack the Block as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Attack the Block violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Attack the Block as moderate.
- What did critics think of Attack the Block?
- Critics broadly praised Joe Cornish's confident debut, energetic genre fusion, character development, and John Boyega's breakthrough performance, while some wanted it to be funnier or scarier.
- Which films are like Attack the Block?
- Films with a similar feel include District 9, Reservoir Dogs, Shaun of the Dead, and Super 8.
- How long is Attack the Block?
- Attack the Block runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Attack the Block?
- In United States, Attack the Block is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
