lauranicus asks...
this is the smallest thing, really, but i love how attack the block succeeds where like 99% of horror movies fail in that CHARACTERS YOU ARE INVESTED IN DIE. the reaction to the aliens is that they're actually, you know, kind of awful because they're hurting people we care about a lot!!! that, in itself, is amazing and creates so much tension and just ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE. MOSES AND HIS END IS JUST SO FUCKING SATISFYING AND JUST god.
I CANNOT LAUREN. IT IS THE MOST REFRESHING MOVIE I HAVE SEEN IN SUCH A LONG TIME. it just has ALL the right elements and then on top of that it has a bunch of elements that I didn’t even know I could expect to see in a movie because the people who make movies are usually so far from even trying to include them
I’ve actually been meaning to write a long-ass review of it but if I do it will probably be in portuguese so I’ll just dump some feelings about it here for a while
the perfection of it is basically that it not only succeeds in being a good horror/sci-fi movie because it has all the elements a proper horror/sci-fi movie has to have, it also makes a ridiculous fictional situation be entirely about the characters
and by making it about the characters it makes it about the bigger issues that define these characters, and that is what it makes this movie so fucking amazing
because these bigger issues are issues that are never being shown in movies
and even when they are shown, it’s never from the point of view of the people right in the middle of it (which are all the characters on this movie and essentially Moses)
from all of the alien invasion movies out there, that are all essentially about dealing with the idea of “others”, Attack the Block is probably the only one that actually takes the people who are constantly being treated by the media and society as “others” and makes the movie about them and their idea of what “the other” is
and that is not only super powerful from a ~social perspective~, it is also an INCREDIBLE FORCE FROM A NARRATIVE POINT OF VIEW. I mean people should be taking notes on this movie because the script is perfection. I know I am
it actually makes you realize how EASY IT IS to have a movie that’s good, interesting, refreshing and respectful? that the only thing standing in the way of people making more movies like this is WANTING TO MAKE MOVIES LIKE THIS
and there is the side bonus of being HILARIOUS and having a ton shit of successful pop and generation references that just make you realize how real those people feel even if they’re in the middle of fictional situation like a fucking ALIEN INVASION
and obviously that ending with Moses and how good the movie gets him as a proper true hero and all the shit Hulk film Critic mentions - his review of this movie is flawless as well (I noticed this second time watching how all the scenes with Moses fighting or trying to fight the aliens are essentially him preparing himself for his final sacrifice that he basically knew would eventually come because he was their leader and he knew he’d have to take responsibility for his actions, but at the same time he is a kid and it takes him all those scenes to find it in himself even if it was there all along HE CRIES AT ONE POINT GODDDDD I HADN’T REALIZED THE FIRST TIME I SAW IT BUT HE. CRIES.)
and one last thing: I am so glad it adresses one of my biggest fears from when I was 15 and only had pre-paid phones? WHAT IF MY LIFE IS IN DANGER AND I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH CREDIT TO CALL MY MOM BY THE TIME THE REVERSE CALL SONG ENDS I WILL BE DEAD
