Movie Review: ‘Fuze’

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Review by James Lindorf

David Mackenzie has been working in film for nearly 25 years, but he is best known as the director of the 2016 Oscar-nominated “Hell or High Water,” one of the finest crime films of the last decade. It is a lean, morally complex thriller that announced him to the world as a filmmaker capable of drawing more from the genre than fun and excitement. When Ben Hopkins’ script for “Fuze” showed up at the 2024 European Film Market with Mackenzie attached to direct and Aaron Taylor-Johnson set to star, it had the makings of something worth getting excited about. Theo James, Sam Worthington, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Saffron Hocking filled out a strong cast before principal photography began in London in July 2024. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 in the Gala Presentations section before Sky Cinema released it theatrically in the UK in April 2026. Roadside Attractions and Saban Films picked up US distribution rights and gave it a wide release on April 24th, with streaming to follow on May 26th.

An unexploded 1,000kg bomb from World War II is unearthed at a busy construction site in Paddington. The discovery triggers a massive evacuation that empties out multiple blocks in the heart of London, including the banks on Edgware Road. Into that vacuum steps Karalis (Theo James) and his crew, who have been waiting for exactly this moment. Meanwhile, Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) leads the bomb disposal operation, racing against a literal ticking timer as the city holds its breath. The two worlds are on a collision course, and the film never stops moving from the moment it begins.

Most heist films thrive on the story setup. The fun of assembling the crew, the detailed planning, and the tension of facing off with the good guys, or more dangerously the worse guys. That is complemented by the leader watching as everything threatens to unravel before a single dollar is stolen, and finally by the excitement of the heist. These pillars are what make the genre work, but they do not have to be constructed in a certain ratio for a film to be successful. It also helps when the central bag guys are lovable, are stealing from worse guys, or have a noble/relatable cause, as in “Hell or High Water,” that they are willing to break the rules for.

“Fuze” opens with most of the characters already in place and the plan in motion, skipping the foundation that makes you care about what happens next. Creative editing or a flash-forward could still make this choice work, but “Fuze” is all momentum and no investment. That means we are given a collection of underdeveloped characters who are just looking for a payday. They try to shake things up by introducing an inside person, but the twist is obvious from about 15 minutes in. Then, where you typically find the climax, you get a series of flashbacks that feels less like a satisfying revelation and more like an admission that the storytelling didn’t hold together on its own.

The film is led by three actors known for their on-screen charisma, and each could have had the career of the others if they had chosen different projects. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the most talented of the three, one I have enjoyed since “Kick-Ass,” and he does his best, but Tranter is too thin a character. His backstory is shared through dropped lines and a tacked-on cliche explanation. Theo James’ Karalis is the central character, and while he brings plenty of charisma, he is too unreliable to be likable with this level of character development. Then there is Sam Worthington, who has a recognizable name and face, but the friction between his character, X, and Karalis is the only element in the film that sets him apart from the rest of the crew. Supporting that trio is Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Chief Superintendent Greenfield in what is essentially a cameo. She spends most of the movie sitting in an office, receiving updates while the plot unfolds elsewhere. If she were not another familiar face, the character would disappear entirely. “Fuze” may be the least actor-friendly film I can think of to feature this many well-known people. Usually, you assemble a cast like this to give audiences a reason to show up and give the performers room to shine. Here they were assembled and then largely forgotten.

There is a better film inside “Fuze.” The premise is strong, London is used well as a pressure cooker setting, and Mackenzie’s craft is visible in individual sequences even when the whole is less than the sum of its parts. What was needed was a new edit or a different structural approach. They were so preoccupied with whether they could present a film this way that they didn’t stop to think whether they should. I respect trying to change things up, but unless you are going for something avant-garde, you need to be concerned about creating something coherent with entertainment value.

“Fuze” is a film too concerned with momentum and breaking the mold to pause and let you get to know and appreciate its characters. With a domestic gross of just $1.4 million, “Fuze” clearly did not find its audience in theaters, and streaming is the right home for it. Mackenzie’s skill is still present, which makes “Fuze” more of a disappointment than a bad film, and that may be the most frustrating thing you can say about a movie with this much talent assembled in one place. At best, this is a film for heist fans who need an easy watch, something to put on after the “Price is Right” when you are not quite ready to get off the couch on a sick day. It will do the job, but “Fuze” comes in at a 2.5 out of 5.

Rating: R (Violence|Language Throughout)
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): April 24th, 2026
Release Date (Streaming): May 26th, 2026
Runtime: 1h 37m
Director: David Mackenzie
Producer: Sébastien Raybaud, Callum Christopher Grant, David Mackenzie, Gillian Berrie
Screenwriter: Ben Hopkins
Distributor: Saban Films, Roadside Attractions
Production Co: Anton, Sigma Films
Sonnet 4.6