ATTACK THE BLOCK
STREET FIGHTER
AS ATTACK THE BLOCK TURNS 10, DIRECTOR JOE CORNISH REFLECTS ON THE MAKING – AND FUTURE – OF HIS DEBUT FEATURE
WORDS: SIMON BLAND
STUDIO CANAL/FILM FOUR, ALAMY
SLICK AND STYLISH, WITH a killer soundtrack to boot, sci-fi comedy Attack The Block established Joe Cornish as a filmmaker full of surprises. By smashing the mundanity of everyday life together with an out-of-thisworld alien invasion, it helped redefine what audiences expect of their big-screen heroes, while also introducing us to a future Resistance fighter in star John Boyega.
With its neon-toothed nasties and hoodieclad warriors, Cornish’s polished debut made the jump to late-night cult favourite quicker than you can say “brap brap” – and according to the director, it was just as fun to make as it is to watch. “It was my first movie, so I just did it from the gut. I didn’t really question myself,” says Cornish as the movie celebrates its tenth birthday.
Having cut his teeth on Channel 4’s The Adam And Joe Show alongside best pal Adam Buxton, the noughties found Cornish hard at work on a pair of screenplays: Edgar Wright’s ill-fated take on Ant-Man, which he penned with Wright, director Adam McKay and star Paul Rudd; and Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures Of Tintin, which paired him with Wright and Doctor Who scribe Steven Moffat. However, as the decade drew to a close, the urge to helm his own feature was getting stronger and stronger.
“I’d been collecting various ideas in my head since I was a teenager,” says Cornish. “I thought this was a good idea for something high-concept and low-budget.” Partly inspired by a real-life run-in with a mugger, Cornish’s story introduces us to a group of youths in South London whose tower block home comes under attack from a fleet of feral aliens. Led by reluctant hero Moses (Boyega) and joined by neighbour Sam (Jodie Whittaker) and local dealer Ron (Nick Frost), the gang must fight to survive the night, fending off enemies from outer space – and a few a little closer to home.