Fuze Is a Thriller That Knows Exactly Which Wire to Cut

Fuze

★ ★ ★ ★

Fuze is an action thriller that jumps right into the action and tension immediately and doesn’t loosen its grip until the credits roll. The plot twists and turns as the story unfolds in unexpected ways that come at you from out of nowhere—they’re delightfully surprising when they arrive. It’s a film that develops its characters as the plot unfolds. They’re given little to no backstory as they’re introduced, allowing us to get to know them in real time. It works flawlessly with the film’s pacing. We immediately know who these people are, and we get a sense of what drives them. It’s not in our face. It’s not brazen. It’s just there in a way that works.

That’s damned good screenwriting.

A construction crew in London uncovers a 1,000-pound bomb from World War II, triggering a massive evacuation within the projected blast radius. Will (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a military bomb-disposal specialist, is brought in to lead a squad to neutralize the threat. He coordinates with local police chief superintendent Zuzana (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) to keep the public back while trying to safely dispose of the bomb.

Sam Worthington as X
© 2026 Saban Films, Roadside Attractions

As the city block is evacuated, a heist unfolds at a local bank. A crew of thieves avoids the evacuation by hiding out in a hotel, making their way down to the basement and drilling through the wall to the bank’s safe deposit room. The crew is led by X (Sam Worthington), who works with Y (Shaun Mason) and Z (Nabil Elouahabi), while another man named Karalis (Theo James) looks out for local police activity.

A ticking time bomb brings its own inherent tension to almost any plot. Here it’s heightened by the unfolding heist. What makes this plot so compelling is that the two scenarios play off each other, each bringing its own level of danger. Will and his crew could blow up with the bomb at any time. And the criminals risk getting caught at every turn.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Zuzana and Honor Swinton Byrne as Clareese
© 2026 Saban Films, Roadside Attractions

This only works if we care about the characters. That’s something this film does so well. Without any backstory, we’re thrust right into the action, and there’s a compelling reason to root for Will and his team, Zuzana and her officers as well as the criminals robbing the bank. The story makes us want all of them to succeed.

The twists come swiftly as the thieves try to get away, and the bomb teams protect the public while investigating how the thing got there in the first place. Even if you see a plot twist coming, another one quickly follows—likely one you didn’t anticipate. Those rapid changes mirror what the characters are dealing with.

Bomb disposal comes with complications. Escaping the police with a safe deposit room full of valuables does, too. It puts us squarely in the shoes of each character onscreen.

Theo James as Karalis
© 2026 Saban Films, Roadside Attractions

Fuze doesn’t present itself as a blockbuster extravaganza. It’s the kind of film you don’t see coming. It drops you right into the story and keeps you entertained until the credits roll. It’s part ticking time bomb, part caper and part whodunit. And it just works.

A surprising estimate of 10 percent of bombs dropped on the United Kingdom during World War II didn’t detonate. London construction projects require an “unexploded ordnance risk assessment” to evaluate danger to personnel, equipment and the public before work begins.

Across the pond, we Americans are supposed to call 811 before we dig. You don’t need to worry about any of that before watching this film. Just buy a ticket, take cover and have a blast.