In the story, the phrase “Ticking Time Bomb” is understood as a metaphor for a problem with a rapid approach that forces characters to crawl under pressure to ward off disaster. But if you have ever heard a movie described in that way and been disappointed, it wasn’t about characters finding a literal time bomb and trying to confuse it before it stops crossing, David Mackenzie Have made the movie for you.
“Fuze“Find” Hell or High Water “and” Relay “director (and screenwriter Ben Hopkins) as the letter of the metaphor to exciting effect in what is almost certainly the most entertaining movie set at a muddy construction site that you will see all season. Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars that will be explosive, an important in the explosive, an important in the explosion, which will be important in the explosion, which will be exploded, an important in explos Taylor-Johnson stars that will transmit, an important in the British Army’s specialization in Explosive, which will see all season. Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars that will transmit, an important in the British Army’s specialization in explosive Unexpected explosion, he must examine the bomb’s explosive abilities – and either deepen it or perform a controlled explosion before anyone is injured.
Taylor-Johnson comes across as an important guy you want to have in charge of a crisis, handsome and ripped and willing to take responsibility for the situation immediately. He cleans the construction crew, commands the foreman’s office, scolds orders throughout the bomb group and even orders pizzas and forms for what he sees as their inevitable success. The only shortage in his approach is his reluctance to consider ideas from his subordinates – so when one of his companies suggests that the chemical properties of the bomb indicate that it is much newer than they originally thought, will reject the perception and continue as if he is dealing with a warlique.
The first third of “Fuze” is completely poignant, with Mackenzie who leaned on her technical filmmaking cutlets and Taylor-Johnson’s movie star vibes to make a largely moving construction site much more exciting than it should be. But when the bomb squad and the police (led by Gugu Mbatha-raw’s main monitor Zuzana) look deeper into the situation, it becomes clear that the bomb was the smallest of their worries: it was actually planted as a diversion to clear the block so that a crew of thieves could rob a bank vault. What started as a bombing -waste job is quickly transformed into a police investigation and what may be the heist of the century.
Mackenzie has long been known for her ability to combine the Hollywood act with social comment, but “Fuze” may be his most obvious refugee film to date. There is no shame in it, because the world really needs more actually good bomb-turned-heist films, and “fuze” often feels like an idea that two 12-year-old boys would think about while they dream of their own filmmakers. But even with a ridiculously fun premise and more than a few turns the movie never recycles its first tension after the bomb explodes relatively early in the movie. We learn that Will is more worried than his aura of trust suggests, and Johnson’s performance gives a certain complexity to the character, but nothing that follows can compete with the tension provided by the bomb.
The third act can be described as structurally curious, as Mackenzie and Hopkins introduce some late-in-game Flashbacks that, while arresting, traces the story and muddy waters in who we should root for. The effect feels less like intentional nihilism than poor stimulation, and it is based on a sudden end (it is also the beginning) that denies us any real catharsis without adding enough compelling information to justify the detour.
“Fuze” still contains the legs in a fantastic movie, and it’s worth looking for Mackenzie fans or someone looking for a snappy new thriller. But the film’s biggest takeaway might be that Ticking Time Bomb Storytelling works for a reason, and movies are not intended to continue for another hour after the main plot unit explodes if you have nothing really incredible to replace the excitement.
“Fuze” may not be exceptional enough to break out your finest celebrating shooting glasses, but you are still unlikely to find another movie that makes the area city construction look so exciting.
Rating: B-
“Fuze” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2025. It is currently seeking US distribution.
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