issue 4: "that's an alien bruv, believe it"
Shook by plots, excited by news this week
Attack the Block Returns
10 years ago, this little British indie flick came out called Attack the Block. It was the feature film debut of Joe Cornish and starred Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), an unknown named John Boyega, and an actress named Jodie Whittaker. All of these people are now massively famous in their own right (Star Wars, Ant-Man, Doctor Who -- c'mon).
On Monday they announced we're getting sequel and I could not be happier. The majority of the movie takes place in a tower block on a council estate in London where these teenage boys are trying to establish dominance and are trying to run the block. After an inciting incident that causes the crew to collide with our other protagonist (Whittaker), aliens suddenly appear. As an audience member, you may have made an assumption by now about these Black and brown teenagers. That’s intentional. But with a common foe and goal, and cornered into the same space, Whittaker and the audience get to know and love our teenage protagonists. It's a hilarious sci-fi comedy with a melange of Goonies-meets-Gremlins-meets-The Thing vibe. Boyega will be producing and returning to star.
It's streaming on Tubi and super inexpensive to rent elsewhere.
Disgruntled Coppers and Where to Find Them
Are you watching Mare of Easttown? Yes? Great. Now, I really don't plan to cover trending shows that often, but I can't stop thinking about what went down on Mare this week and this take on Twitter. (For the record, I completely disagree and am amused when men lean all the way in on their opinion while presenting it as fact.)
If you're not watching it, maybe you've seen the SNL skit and that's the extent of your knowledge surrounding it. It follows a very familiar format seen with literally almost every crime show: a discontented detective or officer with problems at home has to put their own issues aside to solve the case of a murdered young person. What will this murder do to the community? Who is lying? Who would do this?
I’m so fascinated by the psychology of why we're attracted to these morbid stories. I’ve also been thinking about how Silence of the Lambs seems to have been the inspiration for the moody crime thriller template led by a strong female investigator.
Mare of Easttown seems to be following in the footsteps of its British predecessors. Small town, everyone's connected to everyone else so when the killer is revealed, it will make the pill that much harder to swallow. Even the name sounds like some village on the eastern coast.
I find a handful of characters gratifying and with only two episodes left in this limited series run, it's managed to keep me guessing. While the lives of this community seem so bleak across the board, unlike the British and Nordic shows, Mare is incredibly funny if you enjoy the type of humor they're dishing out. I also find it completely fascinating that the creator, Brad Inglesby, has chosen to focus on a composite of his stomping grounds. It brings an authenticity to the depiction.
If you’re dreading the end and want to line up some additional shows, here are some of my favorites:
Broadchurch (Netflix) — Olivia Colman. David Tennant. Season one is stellar.
Luther (HBO Max) — Super broody, but also great. Idris Elba wears the shit out of an overcoat. Like the only man who can get away with popping his collar.
The Fall (Amazon Prime) — Loving Gillian Anderson donning a British accent in every project recently. This was the first time I heard it. Jamie Dornan is incredibly unsettling in this.
The Bridge (Bron/Broen) — This Danish/Swedish language show features Kim Bodnia from Killing Eve. Very Nord noir. Sadly, not streaming.
Unforgotten (Amazon Prime) — Nicola Walker tends to pop up quite frequently in British dramas. This show is about cold cases, with each season focused on a particular crime. Season three is my favorite, but like Mare, this latest season just ended with the biggest shock.
I’ve watched so many crime shows that I will be happy to share if you’d like more. For now, let KRS-One play us out.