Fuze

by Mike McGranaghan

Fuze is an extremely cool movie. It’s part ticking timebomb thriller, part heist thriller, and part revenge thriller. Much of the appeal is in how smoothly it glides between those different things. Ben Hopkins (Inside) has written a twisty screenplay that director David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water) sleekly brings to life.

The story begins with construction workers discovering what appears to be an unexploded WWII bomb while digging at a site. Residents of the area, including immigrant Rahim (Elham Ehsas), are evacuated while Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his team come in to defuse it. Police Superintendent Zuzana (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) monitors the situation from headquarters. The mission is complicated by the realization that the bomb is ticking. Meanwhile, criminals Karalis (Theo James), “X” (Sam Worthington), and two others take advantage of the situation to rob a bank that’s right in the blast zone.

What I’ve just described is maybe the first ten minutes of Fuze. The premise is established quickly, with no time wasted on anything that isn’t essential. Once you get the gist, the story starts building mad suspense. There’s tension from wondering if or when the bomb will explode. There’s more from seeing how the robbers attempt to evade detection, especially when spotted by a police thermal imaging camera. An escape, a chase, and a betrayal follow, along with several additional plot developments that cast new light on the characters.

The movie’s fun derives from how continually it zigs and zags. Fresh elements are repeatedly tossed in to surprise you. Every time you think you have the whole thing sorted out, another complication arises. In some cases, that approach can lead to disjointed nonsense. Hopkins has carefully mapped out his tale, though, so the various pieces fit together in a satisfying manner. He also takes a big gamble with the final scene – a flashback that provides viewers with a crucial piece of information needed to understand the movie in its entirety. The more I think about that last scene, the more I like it.

Mackenzie keeps the pace taut from start to finish, never taking his foot off the proverbial gas pedal. He orchestrates a terrific cast, too. Because it takes place over a relatively short period of time, character development isn’t particularly a high priority, yet the director ensures each actor has room to make an impression. Theo James proves to be a real standout as Karalis, a guy whose unique moral code causes him to behave in unanticipated ways.

Fuze is relentlessly entertaining, and the glib “Where are they now?” end titles provide a perfect capper to the movie’s skewed worldview. Thanks to a strong ensemble and an ever-evolving plot, ninety-eight minutes go ripping by in a flash.