tower block

Tower Block fits quite nicely into the new catch-all category I like to call inter-tainment: not quite high-concept enough for a theatrical release, but with much better production values than your average YouTube channel, the story by writer James Moran (Severance) has echoes of ‘70s era grit mixed with a Rod Serling-esque morality play as a sniper keeps a dozen top floor residents of a condemned tenament pinned down as revenge for refusing to assist with the investigation of a murder in their building.

Die Hard meets Dirty Harry. Towering Inferno meets Twilight Zone. The film mixes and matches characters and clichés quite liberally, but is assisted by a surprisingly able cast (including Jack O’Connell who played an equally nasty teen in the British thriller Eden Lake) and enough “what would you do” moments to keep you sticking around for what turns out to be a blandly predictable conclusion.

But Tower Block proves that a simple scenario well told can be engaging even without a large budget or name cast. The opening sniper attack is shockingly unexpected, even though the general description on the box tells you what’s coming. Directors Ronnie Thompson and James Nunn do a slick job of setting up the geography then letting the rats out of their cages to find a way to survive the maze. It’s a movie that will stick with you for a couple of days, no matter how much streaming and DVR skimming you cram in.

Shout Factory’s blu-ray is up to their usual slick standards and includes a commentary, interviews and trailer.