“Fuze”

While director David Mackenzie’s “Fuze” certainly isn’t what I expected, this crime caper / thriller takes a unique premise and delivers a bloody, crowd pleaser of a ride. It doesn’t do much to elevate the genre, but is sure is entertaining.

The film opens with the discovery of a WWII-era bomb at a busy London construction site and from there, it’s off to the races. What begins as a tense public safety crisis quickly reveals itself to be something else entirely: a cleverly disguised heist that blends the ticking-clock tension of a bomb thriller with the layered misdirection of a classic caper.

Mackenzie delivers a fairly standard heist movie, but one that’s elevated by a cool, high-concept premise and whip-smart execution. It may not reinvent the wheel, but it spins it fast, hard, and with just enough misdirection to keep you guessing.

The robbers in question are not your usual chaotic criminals, but very clever operators. Every move meticulously planned, and every diversion perfectly timed. Watching their plan unfold is a genuine pleasure, especially as layers of deception peel back to reveal how deep the scheme actually runs. The film leans into that joy of watching competence in motion, a hallmark of great heist flicks from the past. These are criminals that never make a mistake…until they do.

Mackenzie keeps the momentum high, moving the story at a breakneck pace without sacrificing clarity. It’s slick but not confusing, stylish without being showy. The screenplay (written by Ben Hopkins) adds plenty of twists and double crosses, and most of them land well. You’ll find yourself constantly recalibrating who to trust and who’s playing whom.

The cast brings plenty of charisma to the ride. Aaron Taylor-Johnson leads with a calm intensity, Gugu Mbatha-Raw adds a touch of polish in a minor supporting role, and Sam Worthington feels more dialed-in than he’s been in years. But it’s Theo James who stands out most, walking the line between charming and menacing with real precision. These aren’t complex characters by any means, but they sure are a whole lot of fun to watch in action.

While I do think the film is mostly forgettable, it is the kind of movie you can throw on for a fun weekend watch and walk away feeling satisfied because it’s entertaining, well-paced, and cleverly constructed. The story isn’t particularly deep and the ending stumbles a bit with an abrupt finale that lacks the punch that the setup deserves, but the journey getting there is so fun that it’s hard to focus too much on the flaws.

“Fuze” is the kind of movie that reminds you why you like heist thrillers in the first place, and Mackenzie delivers what fans want from the genre: slick plans, tense stand-offs, double-crosses, and a whole lot of style. While the film doesn’t aim for greatness, it does deliver pure, clever entertainment.

By: Louisa Moore