FUZE (2025)

On a bustling London morning, the discovery of a World War II-era bomb at a construction site sends the city into a frenzy. Local police, headed by Chief Superintendent Zuzana (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), section off the city centre, evacuating everyone from the area. Meanwhile, bomb expert Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) begins a careful examination of the warhead. A few blocks away, master thief Karalis (Theo James) and his team, including a man known only as ‘X’ (Sam Worthington), use the chaos to break into the vault of a local bank.

Fuze, which premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, is a pulse-pounding thriller about the police’s rush to disarm the explosive and the thieves’ attempt to escape with the bank’s jewels without getting caught.

Director David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water) is no stranger to the genre. His recent release, Relay (2024), showcased a similar aptitude for making every small detail a tension-inducing moment. With Fuze, Mackenzie dives right into the chaotic atmosphere of the bomb’s discovery. The first 45 minutes or so are engrossing; I felt as though I couldn’t take a breath without causing some unforeseen catastrophe on screen. From Tranter’s meticulous bomb-diffusing process, which places safety above all else, to the intricate methods Karalis and his team use to knock down a brick wall and drill into a safe, each moment plays with exceptional tension and intrigue.

This is one of Fuze’s greatest strengths. By skipping the backstory and jumping straight into the action, the film allows the audience to be on the same wavelength as the characters, discovering obstacles as they do. However, this lack of insight is also the film’s greatest weakness.

As the twists and turns are unveiled, it becomes much harder to stay invested in the characters because we know nothing about them. Who are we supposed to be rooting for? Even as more comes to light, it still feels like too little to understand what’s driving them beyond money. The unoriginality of the leads eventually stifles the incredible attention to detail that propelled the film from its opening shot.

Ben Hopkins’ screenplay, while lacking depth, does its job in creating a tense thriller. The twists—though there are too many—are well hidden (save for one obvious moment). The unplanned obstacles that threaten to ruin the heist provide enough action to sustain the brisk 96-minute runtime.

Much of the credit goes to the actors. Perhaps they had access to backstories we aren’t privy to, but they’re fully committed. Aaron Taylor-Johnson carries the same cold intensity he brought to his supporting role in Tenet (2020), but Tranter’s overt compassion for his colleagues pervades every decision, making him a worthy lead.

Theo James (The Monkey) is solid as the criminal leader—calculating, yet at times so far out of his depth that it becomes comical. I’d hoped for more from Sam Worthington (Avatar: Fire and Ash), but unfortunately, his character doesn’t even earn a name. Worthington provides a gravitas that few others can muster; he’s constantly suspicious of everyone.

“You put a tracker on him?” one of his co-conspirators asks. “I put a tracker in all of your new clothes,” Worthington’s character replies. “I don’t trust any of you.”

Worthington’s conviction gives us a great deal; it’s just a shame we don’t see more of it.

Even the smaller background characters give their all. Alexander Arnold (not to be confused with the Liverpool right-back) is brilliant as Corporal Martin, a “green” member of the bomb team whose attention to detail proves vital. Gugu Mbatha-Raw has too little screen time but remains a competent foil to the heist team. Elham Ehsas also surprises as Rahim, a tenant in the building used to break into the bank. With a cast this large in a movie that isn’t a minute too long, it can be hard to fight for presence, but they make it work.

On a technical level, Fuze succeeds, namely through Tony Doogan’s original score and Matt Mayer’s editing. As a thriller, the film works because of the effort made in post-production. One cut made me physically jump out of my seat. The tension earned from the editing and the music haunting the heist is masterful. I only wish the script could match that level.

The heist serves its purpose, keeping us glued to the screen, but the script’s lack of character development prevents the film from being something truly great. By the closing flashback, I was at a loss as to what revelations Fuze was meant to be offering.

At times, the film feels stuck trying to be more than just a thriller, injecting comedic moments that don’t always land. There’s plenty of room for social commentary on British imperialism that’s simply left untapped, but perhaps I’m looking for depth that isn’t intended to be there. At its heart, Fuze is a fun heist film—a great action flick to catch at the cinema, or even on a seat-back screen during your next flight.

UK | 2025 | 96 MINUTES | 2.39:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

director: David Mackenzie.
writer: Ben Hopkins.
starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sam Worthington, Saffron Hocking, Elham Ehsas, Shaun Mason, Nabil Elouahabi, Alexander Arnold, Honor Swinton Byrne, Luke Mably, Iain Fletcher & Samuel Oatley.