The vitals:
7:00 ~ Doors
7:30 ~ ATTACK THE BLOCK

After being mugged, writer/director Joe Cornish began getting to know the kids that lived in various British council estates. It became important to him to tell the story of what external circumstances caused boys to join gangs and to humanize those who are often villified. In his directorial debut, he built on these observations and added an extra wrinkle to his film by making it sci-fi and asking his new friends what weapons they would use to defend their block, many of which (like Moses’ samurai sword) made it into the film. That’s how John Boyega came crashing onto our screens in 2007. Immediately, it was clear that he had absolute star power, leading a group of young Brits — all hand-plucked from junior drama programs around London. Boyega’s “Moses” was a direct response “hoodie horror,” a British sub-genre that positioned working-class youth as the ultimate bad guys. And due in part to Cornish’s care, every character feels deftly fleshed out, unique, and expertly portrayed by its young cast.

Come fall in love with these boys and help them defend the most important thing they have: their home.

-Emily Basma

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