Director: Joe Cornish
Writer: Joe Cornish
Stars: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail
Run Time: 1 Hour, 28 Minutes
Link: https://amzn.to/2YXHmgJ
Synopsis
The streets are crowded in the evening of Guy Fawkes Day, and there are lots of people sitting off fireworks. Sam walks home, and she’s robbed by Moses, who takes her phone, ring, and money. A big flash drops from the sky and crushes a nearby car. Sam runs off, but Moses investigates the burning car. A wild creature with a lot of fur and fangs attacks him, but he runs it off. They argue about whether it’s a monkey or an alien. The gang goes after it, and they soon capture and kill it. Credits roll.
Moses and the guys drag the creature all over town showing it to their friends and using it to impress girls. They think that somehow they can make money from their discovery. They go and drop it off at Hi-Hatz, the big boss. As they they get ready to leave, the see dozens of meteorites falling. The creatures are now all over the city. They grab fireworks, baseball bats, and swords, and other weapons to fight the creatures.
They find another one quickly, but this one is much larger. It’s solid black and its got glow-in-the-dark teeth. Moses gets arrested, but the creatures attack and eat the cops. Sam, who is there to identify the muggers, is also in the police van. The other guys counterattack, and the whole group drives off in the police van. They run head-first into Hi-Hatz’s car, and then there’s a battle with another creatures, with each of them being chased by a different creature.
They finally all run home to the block, and the creatures follow them inside. Once again, they cross Sam’s path and have to hide in her apartment. Somehow, the thing tracks them down with 160 apartments to choose from. They run upstairs to a “safer” apartment, but it turns out the monsters can climb up walls. It also starts to look like they are specifically coming after Moses, not the others. Soon, all the monsters are climbing up the building.
We soon have a showdown between Moses, Hi-Hatz, and a whole bunch of angry aliens. Can Moses finish what he started?
Commentary
The creature effects are really good. Mostly pure black with glowing teeth is really effective. They’re mostly CGI, but they work well.
Most of the characters are not likable at all, and by starting out with the main characters mugging a woman at knifepoint, they pretty much guaranteed that we’d be rooting for their deaths. Some of them redeem themselves before the end, but none of these guys are heroes.
At no point does it slow down or get boring. It’s one interesting scene after another, all clearly shot, well-lit, and very entertaining.