Film Review: ‘Fuze’ is Another Intense Thriller From David Mackenzie

There are few more classical aspects to a thriller than the unexploded bomb. Alfred Hitchcock spoke of a bomb under the table in terms of escalating tension, so whether it’s a literal bomb or a metaphorical one, being able to raise the pulse of an audience is paramount. With Fuze, David Mackenzie has a literal unexploded bomb at the center of a bank heist flick, which could be a hat on a hat in the wrong hands. Luckily, despite its couple of flaws, the film is fun, tense, and incredibly well made. It all makes for one of his more disposable works, sure, but a movie with enough to offer in order to warrant a recommendation.

Fuze gets a bit too pleased with its inevitable twist, including a coda that’s completely unnecessary, and that keeps this from really rocking. Still, the early building of tension, the mid-way surprises, and some solid acting are enough to keep things from ever being a bummer. Last year, Mackenzie’s Relay (reviewed here) also didn’t stick the landing, though that was a great film that wound up just pretty good because of that. Here, we have a movie that’s decently good and winds up just plain solid. Still, plenty of flicks can’t even get to that point.

When an unexploded bomb from World War II is discovered on a construction site in Paddington, the city tenses up. There’s residual trauma from the bombings of London during the war, of course, but also just the tension of the various elements of law enforcement that descend on the area. Chief Superintendent Zuzana Greenfield (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is coordinating the military and police forces, helping to secure the area and evacuate folks over to Hyde Park, including Rahim (Elham Ehsas) and his folks. While that is going on, Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is sent in with his team to try and diffuse the bomb, which is complicated by the discovery of a timed trigger on it.

As that work is going on, Karalis (Theo James), X (Sam Worthington), Hardeep (Naveed Khan), and Z (Nabil Elouahabi) are using this as an opportunity to break into a nearby bank and rob it. The bomb work and the robbery are going on simultaneously, so it’s only a matter of time before they wind up in each other’s way. I won’t say what happens next, but it’s a safe bet to assume that there’s more chaos, a twist or two, and even potentially, an explosion.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson leads what is essentially a solid ensemble cast. You do wish that Gugu Mbatha-Raw got a bit more to do, but her talents add to a thinly written part. Taylor-Johnson can also do this type of part in his sleep, though he too elevates things. Best in show, in terms of the characters on hand, is Sam Worthington, who clearly relishes any opportunity to work with Mackenzie. Worthington is enjoying himself, to be sure. Theo James also turns in solid work, even if no one quite gets too far beyond the basic characters they’re given to play. In addition to the aforementioned Elham Ehsas, Nabil Elouahabi, and Naveed Khan, supporting players include Alexander Arnold, Saffron Hocking, Honor Swinton Byrne, and more.

Director David Mackenzie has wanted to make Fuze for years, initially intending not to direct it, but merely shepherd it to the screen. Now, he’s helmed it as well, and it benefits from his direction. The screenplay from Ben Hopkins sets up a hell of a situation, though from then on, it’s mostly Mackenzie taking things across the finish line. His cast is game, especially someone like Worthington, though it’s the visual intensity that’s keeping everything flowing, as opposed to what’s on the page. Hopkins wrote a decent script, for sure, it just has an unnecessary ending, is a bit too reliant on a twist, and needed someone like Mackenzie to keep it afloat.

Fuze falls shy of being upper echelon Mackenzie, but even so, it’s an entertaining thriller with an effective ticking clock aspect. If you can forgive the flick for its final minutes, what comes before is well worth checking out. Between this and Relay, Mackenzie is doing some of his most intense work yet. It may never approach Hell or High Water again, but if he makes it, count me in.

SCORE: ★★★