Fuze

Following the staggering success of Avatar in 2009, Sam Worthington disappeared into a labyrinth of anonymous thrillers and franchise starters (well, attempted franchise starters) and a few romance films. Most have been long since forgotten trash that he failed to elevate. Some did better than others at the box office, and a few were well-received, but his performances were rarely if ever recognized as responsible for either. Just as with his most famous role, he was a competent, handsome, milquetoast white dude, an uncomplicated but uninspiring presence. To be completely transparent, I haven't seen many, but he left zero impression in those I have: I continually forget he was the star of Fractured, although that's probably for the best.

So it's been exciting to see the mini-renaissance he's experienced since 2024. It would appear Avatar: The Way of Water reminded casting directors that he existed, and while it took a few years for us to reap the benefits, here we are. None have lit the box office on fire (save for Avatar: Fire and Ash, of course), but he's been appearing in higher profile movies: an F. Gray Gray action comedy, a John Woo (self-)remake, Kevin Costner's Horizon experiment, and last year's excellent Relay (which notably shares a director with Fuze). Note that I said "appearing": the key to his recent success has been checking his ego and stepping back into supporting roles. He's relieved himself of the pressure of carrying the film, allowing it to be sold on the back of someone else, and even playing villains a few times. He wears his aged gruffness well, and easily reads as the leader of a scrappy group.

In keeping with that trend, Worthington is not the lead of Fuze. Instead, it's an ensemble piece in which we follow the activities of three separate groups. We're first introduced to the military bomb disposal squad overseen by Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), called in to take care of unexploded WWII ordinance found in the middle of London. The delicate nature of the procedure blankets the film with immediate tension that refuses to let up, especially once it's discovered the disturbance has caused it to start ticking, and we're informed it could explode at any moment in the next 48 hours. Zuzana (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is their contact at police headquarters, and their need to stay in touch provides a natural excuse to explicitly call out what's going on as she directs her offices to maintain and monitor the 800 meter evacuation zone, further guiding the tension to rise and fall, but never release.

Meanwhile, some dudes camped out in the backroom of an apartment come to life once power in the evacuation zone has been cut. Worthington, Shaun Mason, and Nabil Elouahabi are only ever referred to as X, Y, and Z, but Theo James plays a man at once part of and separate from the group, emphasized by being the only one christened with a name: Karalis. They make their way to the basement, which establishing shots have informed us is directly adjacent to a bank, shouting their plan at us without uttering a word. They've clearly planned for each obstacle (e.g. hiding a generator in a dumpster, so they can power lights and tools), which is both thrilling to witness, and communicates their advanced knowledge of the find. Thus, after we've already been on the edge of our seats for a spell, we come to understand that something is off about the bomb site if these men were ready to take advantage: it must have been planted, or discovered earlier and reburied, or something like that. It calls Tranter into question, as he's either incompetent or oblivious or disloyal, shifting the tension from the threat of detonation to the intrigue and energy of a heist film.

All the while, director David Mackenzie periodically cuts to an Afghani family evacuated from the apartment building, worried about missing their flight. At first, this just seems like a way to add a human angle to the impact of such an event. But as the heist deepens, their son Rahim (Elham Ehsas) confirms that some workmen came by the other day and requested a copy of their keys, which is how they gained access to the family's storage locker in the basement, from where they retrieved their equipment. Thus, like it or not, the family is at least tied to the crime, if not directly implicated in its execution.

The pacing is such that all of the layered revelations have time to breathe, allowing you ample time to adjust to the new reality they create and then sit within it for a bit before shaking things up once again. And they mostly feel earned; many answer questions raised by the characters' earlier actions, or plug plot holes by punishing a character for not making the same observation you did. There are a handful of contrivances, especially as the plot wears on, and it would be fair to view the shifting sands beneath it as unnecessary convolution. The plot is a little shaggy, and we don't really need to stick with Zuzana and her assistant Clareese (Honor Swinton Byrne) as long as we do. But when the resulting stew is as propulsive as Fuze, it's hard to nitpick too much.

It doesn't offer up any nuance, despite gesturing at some clumsy ideas once in a while. The main members of the ensemble are well constructed, but their supporting cast could use to be less anonymous. And while the ending makes sense (and continues to hold the tension until its final moments), it's a bit cliched and drawn out. That being said, if you like taught thrillers that refuse to undercut themselves with humor even as there are plenty of laughs, powered by a clever bit of plotting containing more layers than appear at first blush, Fuze delivers on that promise better than most, and is sure to keep you engaged to the very end.