The day-to-day problems of a handful of tenants trapped on the top floor of Serenity House, a moribund London tower block, recede into the background when a sniper armed with a military-grade rifle starts picking them off. Is the killer a motiveless psycho or an avenger with a grudge?
Co-directors James Nunn and Ronnie Thompson stage the group’s suspenseful escape attempts with ruthless efficiency and milk extra tension from fraught internal dynamics. Hard-working Becky (Sheridan Smith) strips down to her vest, under-confident alcoholic Paul (Russell Tovey) sobers up, ex-soldier Neville (Ralph Brown) gets organised and selfish drug dealer Kurtis (Jack O’Connell) realises his fate is tied to that of the other besieged tenants. Like ‘Assault on Precinct 13’ on a London council estate, ‘Tower Block’ boasts a high-concept script from James Moran (‘Severance’) that’s strong on set-up, action and character. Sadly, the killer’s motive is sign-posted from the outset, and any self-respecting thriller fan will see the final ‘reveal’ coming from a mile off – even without the benefit of a telescopic sight.