By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
EXPLOSIVE THRILLER "FUZE" SUPRISES AT EVERY TURN
Timing is everything. It's unfortunate that the exciting heist drama
"Fuze" opened the same weekend as the biopic
"Michael." As a result, the film got swallowed up in the wave of Michael Jackson mania, but let me assure you, "Fuze" is the kind of gritty, pulse-pounding thriller that deserves to be seen.
Director
David McKenzie ("Relay" and "Hell or High Water") once again proves he has a sharp eye for navigating through tension and layered storytelling. Alongside screenwriter
Ben Hopkins ("The Narrative"), they have crafted a film that simmers with urgency before erupting in ways you don't quite see coming.
"Fuze" revolves around a seemingly routine crisis: an unexploded bomb discovered in London, places Chief Superintendent Zuzana Greenfield (an excellent Gugu Mbatha-Raw, "The Woman in Cabin 10" and TV's "Surface" and ) and Major Will Tranter (the always reliable Aaron Taylor-Johnson, "28 Years Later" and "Nosferatu") in a race against time to contain a potential disaster.
But "Fuze" doesn't stay in that lane for long. As civilians like Rahim (Elham Ehsas, TV's "Unforgotten") are caught up in the evacuation, the film cleverly widens its scope, revealing that the chaos above ground is the perfect cover for Karalis ( a terrific Theo James, "The Monkey") and his crew, X (a stellar Sam Worthington, "Avatar: Fire and Ash"), Y (Shaun Mason, TV's "The Cage"), and Z (Nabil Elouahabi, "The Way of the Wind"), to execute a daring and meticulously planned underground bank heist.
McKenzie weaves these parallel threads together with precision, allowing tension to build from multiple directions at once.
What also makes "Fuze" so engaging is how unpredictable it becomes as loyalties shift and hidden agendas come into focus. The film thrives on misdirection, using its ensemble cast to full advantage.
Theo James brings a slick, calculating edge to Karalis, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Tranter carries an intensity that hints at something deeper beneath his military precision.
Meanwhile, Gugu Mbatha-Raw grounds the film with authority and presence as Greenfield, trying to maintain order in an increasingly unstable situation. No character feels wasted, and each performance brings a powerful angle that refuses to play it safe.
And then there's the finale. Strange, bold, and undeniably memorable. It's also where Fuze truly separates itself. It's the kind of ending that may catch viewers off guard, but it fits the film's offbeat rhythm and refusal to follow convention.
Instead of wrapping everything in a neat bow, "Fuze" leans into its ambiguity, leaving just enough space for interpretation while still delivering a satisfying payoff.
It's a risk, but one that works, elevating “Fuze” from a standard thriller to something more distinctive and quite a wildly entertaining crowd pleaser.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"FUZE"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
