A year after witnessing a murder, residents of Tower Block 31 find themselves being picked off by a sniper, pitting those lucky enough to be alive into a battle for survival.
The character arcs are predictable and the identity of the triggerman isn’t too hard to figure, but the action and anxiety are believable, the violence sudden and the performances...are strong.
Tower Block does work as a film, largely because it scales back the blunt social commentary suggested by its setting and concentrates more on being a straight-up genre thriller.
With shades of Assault On Precinct 13, directors James Nunn and Ronnie Thompson's picture keeps the action coming at a grand lick. The dialogue creaks, but there is no denying the sheer effort being poured into keeping things interesting.
High-rise tension, low-impact ending.
It's not a bad idea for a movie, but what we get is undercooked, with poor logic and even poorer pacing conspiring to prevent any much-needed tension to build.
An unusual, scuzzy setting for a thriller that delivers with brutal simplicity.
There's just enough going on to keep us hooked.
The ending is a letdown but this is still a very promising debut from directors James Nunn and Ronnie Thompson.
It's John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 relocated from Los Angeles to London and is well enough sustained.
A high-rise Poseidon Adventure, with some decent shocks.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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