SPOILER FREE REVIEW

The opening credits of ‘Fuze’ jitter across the screen with a throwback style, evoking the high-octane intros of Tony Scott’s heyday. Right away, it’s clear that director David Mackenzie and writer Ben Hopkins know exactly which tradition they’re nodding to. This is a film that values flair and momentum above all else, with no aim beyond delivering sharp, straightforward entertainment—something refreshing in an era where genre movies often try too hard to pose as prestige projects.

Mackenzie, best known for ‘Hell or High Water,’ keeps the pace brisk from the start. The story kicks off when a London construction crew accidentally uncovers an unexploded WWII bomb, echoing a real incident in Plymouth just last year. This premise neatly links modern London to the lingering shadows of its past. With the threat ticking away, the military and police scramble to secure the site, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s army major leads a bomb disposal team in a desperate race against time.

But the crisis above ground isn’t the only tension brewing. In the basement of a suddenly deserted building, Theo James and Sam Worthington lurk with their own agenda: a meticulously timed heist. While the city braces for disaster, the pair work furiously to breach a vault wall, battling their own countdown.

The clever trick of the film’s early sequences is that we’re invested in both fronts—wanting the bomb safely defused and secretly rooting for the thieves to succeed. Mackenzie cuts confidently between these threads, steadily building suspense while sketching out just enough about the characters to keep us hooked.

‘Fuze’ has a clean and slick energy, reminiscent at times of Spike Lee’s ‘Inside Man.’ Like that classic, it soon morphs into something more layered, shifting from setup into a twisty tale of betrayals and botched plans. While not every plot point withstands close scrutiny, the film never loses its grip; Hopkins’ script keeps the audience guessing about shifting loyalties and hidden agendas.

Visually, Giles Nuttgens’ cinematography gleams—polished but not overworked—occupying that sweet spot between glossy blockbuster and lean B-movie. It feels like the kind of smartly packaged thriller that studios once churned out regularly, but which is rare in today’s streaming-dominated landscape. With the right distributor, ‘Fuze’ could easily play well on the big screen.

The cast leans into the fun. Taylor-Johnson brings sweat and swagger to his role, James slips into a South African accent as a schemer always two moves ahead, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw commands every scene from her control-room perch. Worthington doesn’t get quite as much to chew on, but his presence adds heft outside of his usual franchise work.

‘Fuze’ is a film that feels market-ready. It’s not aspiring to high art, nor does it need to. Sometimes hitting the middle ground with precision—delivering a thriller that’s stylish, entertaining, and unpretentious—is its own kind of artistry. The film knows what it is and never deviates from its path—a movie made for one thing only: entertainment.

Our score: ★★★☆☆
(out of 5 stars)

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