Film Review – Fuze (2026)

      Fuze, 2026.

      Directed by David Mackenzie.

      Featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Elham Ehsas, Sam Worthington, Shaun Mason, Nabil Elouahabi, Honor Swinton Byrne, Saffron Hocking, Laurie Duncan, Luke Mably, Iain Fletcher, Naveed Khan, Gilly Gilchrist, Alexander Arnold, Samuel Oatley, Matthew Earley, Atul Sharma, and Richa Prakash.

      SYNOPSIS:

      An unexploded World War II bomb is found at a bustling construction site in central London, leading to a chaotic evacuation by the military and police as time runs out.

      David Mackenzie’s Fuze has little in the way of character development, and for a time, that seems acceptable. A construction crew in London uncovers a live WWII bomb, which brings British Army bomb disposal expert Will (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) into action, prompting an evacuation.

      Simultaneously, a group of criminals, led by Sam Worthington’s character X, may or may not be connected to the bomb incident but use the chaos as a cover for an intricately devised bank heist. Watching this crew execute their plan is undeniably captivating, especially as they face challenges, such as when thermal radar detects movement, forcing the bomb disposal team to pause while law enforcement investigates. Their disguises and clever methods for robbing the bank and extracting the money from an area temporarily devoid of people are inventive and fresh.

      However, screenwriter Ben Hopkins seems either uncertain about the material or chooses to complicate the story with double crosses, additional factions, more motives, and excess characters, diverting the film from its initial premise. This issue mirrors that of Mackenzie’s earlier film, which faltered in its third act, although it still adhered to most of the original storyline. In contrast, Fuze's narrative spirals so completely out of control in its attempts to surprise the audience that the conclusion results in a mere flashback to Afghanistan.

      Character development might have salvaged the film, particularly involving immigrants (notably a family man portrayed by Elham Ehsas) suspected of being connected to the bombing, a diamond smuggler (Theo James) with a duplicitous family, and lingering bonds from military service in Afghanistan. However, it is remarkable how each character merely serves to mislead the audience, reducing their importance to mere plot devices, making their eventual reveals feel ridiculous and unimportant. Following the convoluted plot is another challenge entirely.

      Fuze concludes with a series of graphics showcasing the characters' fates while blasting punk rock music, as if the audience is expected to feel invigorated after experiencing this tiring journey, which was primarily enjoyable for about the first hour. One struggles to envision anyone being motivated enough to research if any elements of this narrative are fact-based or inspired by true events.

      David Mackenzie appears to be trying too hard to replicate the success of his gripping modern western, Hell or High Water. During the first act, there seems to be potential for Fuze to occupy a similar space, particularly with its unorthodox heist and the ticking time bomb creating a sense of urgency. Unfortunately, that potential is obliterated as the filmmakers create a disordered experience.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder