Attack The Block's Hallway Fight Is The Best Action Scene Ever
(Welcome to Best Action Scene Ever, a column dedicated to breaking down the best, most effective action sequences throughout the genre. In this edition, we cap off spooky season with the perfect meld between horror and action: the hallway fight in "Attack the Block.")
Do you feel that chill in the air? Halloween is once again upon us, providing the timeliest of reminders that the concepts of action and horror need not be mutually exclusive. Experienced viewers know full well that some of the best examples of either genre tend to share quite a few interests, whether it be James Cameron's "Aliens" taking a more militaristic approach than the claustrophobic, slasher-like original did or horror maestro John Carpenter staging a feature-length action sequence out of a classic horror premise in "Assault on Precinct 13," as we last covered in this column. As tempting as it was to focus on another one of those bona fide classics this time around, however, it just felt right to give some love to a low-budget action/horror movie — one that earned every bit of its cult classic status.
Writer/director Joe Cornish's alien-invasion flick "Attack the Block" struggled to make inroads with general audiences in 2011, riding a wave of positive hype out of the SXSW Film Festival (/Film included, proving we're always on the right side of history) to become one of the year's most overlooked pleasant surprises. Even though it would take another several years for the rest of the world to catch up, particularly regarding John Boyega's star-making turn as Moses, real ones knew right away that there was something special about the film's low-budget charms, area-specific slang, and absolutely gutting social commentary. Nowhere is that on display more than in one extended, two-part hallway sequence at the climax of the movie.
The scene
In any other movie, these kids would've been the first ones to die. In fact, it's downright antithetical to the aims of a typical horror movie to take its primary threat and have a bunch of snotty teens easily kill the first alien we see before the film's title card even shows up. ("They're four foot high, blind, and got kicked to death by a bunch of kids. We got nothing to worry about," Nick Frost's Ron hilariously deadpans at one point.) But as it turns out, the deceptively shrewd choice to have all its main characters downplay the danger of these sharp-toothed invaders in the early going pays dividends once the full scope of the threat becomes inescapably clear.
This is most apparent when Moses and his small crew of friends wind up running for their lives along with unexpected ally Sam (a pre-"Doctor Who" Jodie Whittaker), whom the street gang had mugged early on in the film. Chased back to the apartment tower block they all call home, our protagonists face their toughest challenge yet. Attracted by the scent of the first alien's blood, several others have gathered in the hallways high up in the complex. After riding an elevator all the way to the 19th floor in an attempt to enter the safest stronghold in South London (Ron's weed room, of course), the kids have no choice but to walk right into the teeth of danger.
The setup: one intimidatingly long hallway leading to Ron's door, filled with monstrous, jet-black aliens. Armed with nothing but makeshift weapons and Pest's (Alex Esmail) stash of fireworks, chances seem slim that all five terrified survivors will make it out alive. Launching the fireworks at the aliens only hides them from view in atmospheric smoke, upping the tension unbearably.
Why it works
From its conception to its release to its very story, "Attack the Block" is the epitome of an underdog tale. By cobbling together this group of protagonists, multiple of whom are stoned out of their minds while the rest (excluding Sam) are mere children, the odds couldn't be stacked any higher against their success. Add in the fact that home-field advantage has been taken away by the impenetrable smoke and the aliens' ability to sniff them out and, well, Moses and his crew might as well be marching straight into a bloodbath.
This tangible sense of danger follows our heroes every step of the way down that hallway, especially when cinematographer Thomas Townend's camera resorts to extreme close-ups to heighten the sense of paranoia and claustrophobia. We can barely see any more than the characters do, meaning dismemberment and death only lurk just outside of the frame. Although this sequence stands apart from the rest of the action in the film by keeping the actual aliens almost entirely off-screen, rarely do they feel more real, present, and menacing than they do here. The fading voices of the group when poor, soon-to-be-victim Jerome (Leeon Jones) gets separated from the rest and the almost xenomorph-like screeches of the nearby aliens emphasize the importance of the entire sound department, while Steven Price's score adds an invisible undercurrent of doom. Pest's heroics in returning to look for Jerome, though admirable, only tightens the knot in the stomach of every viewer as we know from some gruesome, rapid-fire editing (by Jonathan Amos) that this is a moot point.
All of this adds up to a masterclass in building suspense on a budget, proving that one need not actually see a threat for audiences to feel the intended effect anyway.
The key moment
Of course, Moses' victory in winning their way through to Ron's apartment is awfully short-lived. Hiding in Ron's apartment is none other than the violent, trigger-happy gangster Hi-Hatz (Jumayn Hunter), who represents the human threat that's been after Moses for much of the movie. This sanctuary turns into yet another prison ... at least, until more aliens break through the window behind Hi-Hatz and our dwindling group of characters flees to Ron's weed room for a respite. Here, however, is where "Attack the Block" crystallizes itself as a next-level feature debut by Joe Cornish. Blessed with a moment to finally catch their breath, Moses expresses all the regret welling inside of him — including their unprovoked attack on Sam to begin the movie. More pertinent to the plot, the blacklight flooding the room clues everyone into the fact that the aliens have been following them because of their contact with the original extraterrestrial. And even while the supporting cast gets their own quiet moments to shine, Moses goes full hero mode as he comes up with a risky plan to lead the aliens away to his apartment one floor below.
It all leads to the dread-inducing visual of Sam creeping outside the confines of the safe room to walk unnoticed among the aliens and, finally, the money shot of the entire movie when Moses straps the dead female alien to his back and sprints through the hallway with hordes of aliens at nipping at his heels in slow-mo. The heartbreaking reveal of Moses' true age, his heroics blowing up the room, and the worse threat of armed police waiting to arrest all the wrong people all lead to the perfect final shot — Boyega's tiniest smile from the police van as onlookers chant his name.