Is it only me or is there a certain patriotic pride and extra enjoyment you get when a British film really works? Well I certainly felt that way watching Tower Block.
A youth is beaten to death on the top floor landing of Serenity House tower block, the residents hear the screams and pleas, but do nothing. Having lived in a tower block for a fair few years one thing you learnt was never open your door, no matter what. Becky ( Sheridan Smith ) ignores this golden rule and goes out to help, getting beaten unconscious for her troubles. DC Devlin (Stephen Cree ) knows the residents saw something, but is frustrated by their silence. We cut to three months later and the tower block is up for demolition, but the residents of the top floor are holding out in the deserted building for better rehousing. OK, that is a little convenient, but it needs to serve the plot. A quiet morning erupts as a sniper starts firing into the building, with devastating accuracy not only that he has made escape almost impossible. This is the kick off point as Tower Block takes us on a mad ride, full of the kind of jumps and thrills a lot of big budget Hollywood films fail to deliver. No character is safe and you genuinely fear for them.
The writer James Moran and directors James Nunn and Ronnie Thompson have obviously seen John Carpenter's classic Assault on Precinct 13, because the two films have similarities. But this isn't a knock off, at times Tower Block matches Precinct 13 for hands in front of the eyes tension. All three have done a brilliant job, but what also raises Tower Block above the norm is its quality of cast. Sheridan Smith plays the be-vested Becky, we are in a high rise someone has to wear a vest, with driven conviction. Russell Tovey is full of pained pathos as alcoholic Paul, Ralph Brown's Neville is an old school tough guy, but special mention should go to Jack O'Connell as Kurtis, he gives us a neat, novel twist on his nasty Brett from Eden Lake.
So give it a go, you'll find it is more than just a chip off the old Carpenter block.
The Owner
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