Flickering Myth’s writing team discuss their favourite movie soundtracks; next up is Anthony Stokes with Attack the Block…
Attack the Block is one of my favorite movies of 2011 simply because of how much it does with so little. All the actors are unknowns, it’s a first time director in Joe Cornish, the budget is incredibly small for an alien invasion film and yet it’s better then almost every other one I’ve seen in recent memory. And no great movie is complete without a great soundtrack.
Now for me personally there’s a few good things that make a good soundtrack. First of all, if you notice it the first time you watch a movie then it fails. A movie should be completely immerse and avoid anything that reminds the audience they’re watching a movie. Attack the Block’s unorthodox sci-fi electro soundtrack meshes perfectly with the movie, and honestly I can’t imagine they film would be as enjoyable without it.
Another thing a soundtrack should do is stand on its own and be enjoyable by itself, while evoking similar emotions as the movie and reminding you of key scenes. I could listen to Attack the Block’s soundtrack anytime. It gets frequent rotations on my iPod for any occasion, and when I’m listening to it, I feel a sense of fun similar to what the movie gave me.
Attack the Block’s soundtrack is no Hans Zimmer epic, but that’s why I like it. It’s minimalistic to great effect and breaks off just far enough from the herd to be unique, but also recalling older works of science fiction. Even a significant rapper Talib Kweli made a concept mixtape called “Attack the Block” he was so taken by the soundtrack. For those many who haven’t seen the film, you’ve been missing out – go watch it and then get your hands on the soundtrack.
Anthony Stokes is a blogger and independent filmmaker.
Originally published July 30, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
