Scottish director David Mackenzie's latest film, Fuze, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, but the twisty London-set heist thriller fails to ignite. Following last year's Relay, which also underwhelmed, Fuze attempts to channel early 2000s British crime cinema but lacks the swagger of Guy Ritchie's work, feeling more like an ITV drama than a cinematic thriller.
The film opens with the discovery of a World War II bomb on a London construction site, leading to an evacuation. Military bomb expert Aaron Taylor-Johnson and police officer Gugu Mbatha-Raw take charge, while a secret heist unfolds, led by Theo James and Sam Worthington. The strands converge in a plot heavy on double-crossing, but the execution is pedestrian, with a plodding TV score and a lack of energy.
Mackenzie and screenwriter Ben Hopkins keep the runtime tight at 91 minutes, but the film suffers from anonymously staged action, easy-to-spot twists, and a crucial lack of suspense. The clever premise dissipates into silliness, relying on too many variables to make sense. A baffling flashback ending adds confusion rather than depth.
The cast, including Taylor-Johnson, James, and Worthington, is attractive and holds attention, but their performances are not in service of much. Mackenzie's lack of style in set pieces, compared to directors like De Palma or Ritchie, leaves the film flat. Fuze isn't a complete bomb, but viewers will be frustrated by the lack of a spark.
