An unexploded WWII bomb is discovered on a busy construction site in the centre of London. Chaos ensues as the military and police begin a mass evacuation against a ticking clock.
‘Fuze’ is the latest film from Scottish director David Mackenzie, and it’s another solid entry in what is largely a very reliable body of work. It’s an action thriller that begins with an unexploded bomb being discovered on a London building site, forcing the evacuation of the surrounding area, only for it to become clear that the device is being used as cover for a bank robbery while the police have the area locked down. The cast includes two rumoured potential new Bonds in Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James, alongside Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sam Worthington, and much of the intrigue comes from working out how these characters fit into the wider plot.
The film clocks in at a breezy 96 minutes, which feels about right for this type of thriller, where momentum is key and you don’t want to spend too long dwelling on any inconsistencies or implausibilities in how things unfold. It works both as a tense ticking-clock story and as a puzzle, gradually revealing how the characters connect and where loyalties lie. There are plenty of twists, turns and betrayals, and I was invested throughout, even to the point of enjoying Theo James’ not particularly convincing and fairly stereotypical attempt at a South African accent (or at least I think that’s what it was!).
Ultimately, ‘Fuze’ is a fast-paced, pulpy thriller that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s well put together, keeps things moving and never lets the tension drop for too long, making it an easy film to stay engaged with from start to finish. It may not linger long in the memory, but as a piece of straightforward, entertaining filmmaking, it does exactly what it sets out to do.
Rating: 4/5
Directed By: David Mackenzie
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Saffron Hocking, Elham Ehsas and Sam Worthington
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