FUZE : Tuesday 21st April 2026.

I saw the M Rated 'FUZE' at my local independent movie theatre this week, and this British crime thriller heist film is Co-Produced and Directed by David Mackenzie whose previous feature film Directorial output includes 'Young Adam' in 2003, 'Hallam Foe' in 2007, 'Perfect Sense' in 2011, 'Hell or High Water' in 2016, 'Outlaw King' in 2018 and 'Relay' in 2024. The film Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year at the Gala Presentations section, was released in the UK earlier this month, and has generated mixed or average critical reviews.

Here, set in modern day London, the film opens on a building site in Paddington where an excavation reveals what appears to be an unexploded WWII bomb. The site foreman calls the local Police who spring into action and alert the Army bomb disposal unit. The Police, under the command of Chief Superintendent Zuzana Greenfield (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), cordon off an area the size of several city blocks, and order the immediate evacuation of all civilians, including Rahim (Elham Ehsas) and his parents, to Hyde Park. Meanwhile, Greenfield has contacted Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) a seasoned bomb disposal expert to lead the investigation into the nature of said device and its defusing. 

Upon arrival at the Paddington site, Tranter and his team set the ground rules for handling the alleged bomb, which sits buried in mud and partially submerged in waste water. The operation is hampered when Tranter discovers a timed trigger, and that it is ticking. One of the soldiers uses a magnetic device to temporarily disable the timer, while the rest attempt to build a wall to contain and reduce the blast zone. Tranter relays back to his team and Greenfield that the bomb could off anytime between now and the next 48 hours. 

Amidst the chaos, and the city falling silent, the streets empty and with electricity supplies cut off Karalis (Theo James), X (Sam Worthington), Hardeep (Naveed Khan), Y (Shaun Mason) and Z (Nabil Elouahabi) break into a bank in Edgware Road, that is located directly adjacent to Rahim's apartment block. They gain access through the basement, and using a large industrial drilling machine, bore through the two feet thick concrete wall and then blow torch their way in through the steel wall into the vault. Having gained access they set about looting safety deposit boxes and steal money, jewellery, and a cache of diamonds. Their heat signature is spotted from Rahim's apartment by a Police drone, suspending the bomb disposal operation while Policemen search the cordoned area. Karalis is spotted keeping a watchful eye on proceedings at street level, and the Police engage in a chase with the thieves. Meanwhile, the bomb malfunctions, reactivating the timer and eventually resulting in the device detonating before the wall can be completed. The explosion leaves a big crater in the ground, a shock wave that can be felt several blocks away and a huge plume of grey smoke and ash rising up from the scene of the blast. Fortunately, no lives are lost. 

The thieves are able to successfully evade the Police - first on foot through the sewers of central London and then they escape in a van to a safehouse in the countryside. There, Karalis reveals uncut diamonds among the loot, then double-crosses them by calling in a team of armed gangsters he works for, who come in with shotguns blasting away, and take out Y with a blast to his shoulder. They then cable tie the thieves up and lock them in a shed. Karalis, who is in cahoots with his uncle, who turns the tables on his nephew by stating that he now wants a 50% cut of the share from the sale of the diamonds when they had originally agreed a 20% cut. Karalis is none too pleased with this development and when he tries to explain the work involved in fencing off uncut diamonds, and their true value only when they are cut, the uncle slams down a wrench on the table smashing the diamond into dust. Upon discovering the diamonds to be fake, the gangsters break his hand with the wrench, lock him in the boot of their car and drive off with him, leaving the other thieves locked in the shed. Y succumbs to his shotgun wound and dies. X breaks free from his cable tied wrists and frees the others. Using the van to break out of the shed door, X grabs his tablet from two getaway cars and says that he placed tracking devices on each of them, because he felt none of his accomplices could be trusted. and Karalis is able to use his phone to broadcast his location. With X, Hardeep and Z tracking him, they eventually catch up, kill the gunmen, and attempt to suffocate Karalis, but Tranter arrives and shoots X dead, and wounds Hardeep and Z, so allowing Karalis to escape. With Hardeep and Z left for dead, they both retrieve the stash of cash and jewellery from the gunmen's car, and are last seen grinning from ear to ear. 

By the time the Police have figured out Tranter, Karalis and Rahim's involvement in the heist and their connection, the three have fled the UK each on separate flights. Reuniting in Istanbul, it is revealed that Tranter was working with Karalis to steal the diamonds; when Karalis was discovered, Tranter sabotaged his own home made WWII looking bomb, triggering the explosion to buy them time to escape the Police; and Rahim, a long term friend of Tranter, ensured the switch of the real diamonds for the fake ones and their concealment and ultimate retrieval was carried out according to plan. After arranging for the diamonds to be cut and sold in Istanbul to diamond traders, and dividing the US$90M proceeds equally between them, the three part ways.

A closing sequence tells us that Tranter, Karalis and Rahim first met ten years earlier in Afghanistan, when Karalis was double-crossed by his employer, who kidnapped him, only for their convoy to be caught up in an IED blast. Tranter and Rahim who happened to be in the locale at the time provided cover fire against the insurgents, as Karalis was able to disarm a land mine that Tranter had inadvertently stepped on. However, whilst Karalis cut the wire leading to the land mine, he neglected to disengage the grenade at the mine's control box causing a chain reaction of explosions from other buried IED's sending the three of them flying albeit unharmed. 

'Fuze' hardly reinvents the bank heist film genre that goes adrift before the final payoff and the villains walk away to spend their millions on ill gotten gains, but nonetheless, it is an enjoyable, entertaining and engaging robbery romp ramping up the tension, the plot twists and turns and the double crosses into a reasonably respectable 97 minute run time. The character development is somewhat lacking (until that final sequence) and the at times ho-hum dialogue, but the cinematography, editing, Mackenzie's deft Directorial hand and a more than competent cast all add up to an acceptable thrill ride. 

'Fuze' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 16th April 2026

The 18th Milwaukee Film Festival takes place this year from Wednesday 16th April, up to and including Thursday 30th April, in the US city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Named one of the coolest film festivals in the world by MovieMaker Magazine, the Milwaukee Film Festival is one of the Midwest’s largest film festivals, and one of Milwaukee’s most-beloved cultural events. Founded in 2008, Milwaukee Film is a community-powered arts nonprofit organisation dedicated to creating world-class cinematic experiences that entertain, educate, and engage curious audiences. It is the fifth largest film festival in the US in terms of attendance, the number of films screened and festival length, and is proud to be known for its world-class hospitality. The Milwaukee Film Festival spotlights bold new voices, acclaimed filmmakers, unique stories, and work made in Milwaukee that resonates far beyond the screen. So reads the official website.

This years Opening Night film presentation is 'Ueck', from the USA and this documentary is Directed by Steve Farr and Michael T. Vollmann. Milwaukee legend, Bob Uecker, the former Major League baseball player, Hall of Fame sportscaster, comedian, and Actor has seen it all and made us laugh along the way. Though Ueck passed away in January 2025, this documentary persists as a testament to his legacy, giving audiences intimate access to his life, work, family, and friends, amplifying his humour and heart for future generations. The Closing Night film is 'Power Ballad' from the USA and is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by John Carney. When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves. 

The Centrepiece film is 'The Big Cheese', and this documentary is Co-Produced and Directed by Sara Joe Wolansky. In the high-pressure world of international cheesemongering, Adam Moskowitz aims to send the first American to claim the top prize at the Mondial du Fromage competition in France. While the European model for this 'sommelier of cheese' profession eclipses its stateside counterpart in societal support, Moskowitz, and his alter-ego Mr. Moo, believe scrappy American ingenuity can take the wheel.

In the North American Independents Programme, there are thirteen titles being showcased, detailed in brief as follows :-

* 'Blue Heron' - from Canada and Hungary this drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sophy Romvari is her feature film Directorial debut. 

* 'Carolina Caroline' - from the USA and Directed by Adam Carter Rehmeier and starring Samara Weaving, Kyle Gallner and Kyra Sedgwick.

* 'Erupcja' - from the USA and Poland this drama romance film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, photographed, Directed and Edited by Pete Ohs and stars Charli XCX, Will Madden and Lena Gora.

* 'I Want Your Sex' - from the USA and this comedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Gregg Araki, and stars Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Olivia Wilde, Daveed Diggs and Charli XCX.

* 'If I Go They Will Miss Me' - from the USA, this drama film is Written, Directed and Edited by Walter Thompson-Hernandez.

* 'Late Fame' - from the USA this drama film is Directed by Kent Jones and stars Willem Dafoe, Greta Lee and Edmund Donovan.

* 'Lucky Lu' - from the USA and Canada, this drama film is Written and Directed by Lloyd Lee Choi.

* 'Mad Bills to Pay' - from the USA and this comedy drama film is Written and Directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas.

* 'Maddie's Secret' - from the USA this comedy film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars John Early, with Eric Rahill, Kate Berlant, Conner O'Malley and Vanessa Bayer.

* 'She's The He' - from the USA, this comedy is Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Siobhan McCarthy.

* 'Space Cadet' - from Canada this family animated film is Directed by Kid Koala.

* 'The Travel Companion' - from the USA, this comedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Co-Directed by Travis Wood and Alex Mallis, and starring Tristan Turner, Anthony Oberbeck and Naomi Asa.

* 'Vanilla' - from Mexico, and this drama comedy film is Written and Directed by Mayra Hermosillo.

For the descriptors of the aforementioned films, plus the details of the other films strands being showcased, plus a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.mkefilm.org

Turning the attention then back to this weeks four new movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with a supernatural horror film in which a young girl wakens in a 3,000 year old sarcophagus having been missing for eight years, and while her parents joy at having their daughter back, this quickly turns into a living nightmare. Next up is an action offering in which an interim lawman in a small mid-western American town covering up a massive criminal conspiracy. This is followed by a British crime thriller where an unexploded WWII bomb is discovered on a busy construction site in the city of London, as chaos ensues when the military and police begin a mass evacuation. And closing out the week we have a French drama offering about the daily life of an indifferent Frenchman, who is shaken by the death of his mother and a fateful encounter on a beach in 1930's Algeria.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'LEE CRONIN'S THE MUMMY' (Rated MA15+) - this American supernatural horror film is Written and Directed by Lee Cronin in only his third feature film making outing following 'The Hole in the Ground' in 2019 and 'Evil Dead Rise' in 2023. This film is a reimagining of 'The Mummy' series which began way back in 1932 with the Universal Studio's 'The Mummy' right up to the most recent iteration in 2017 with 'The Mummy' as part of Universal's planned and subsequently ditched Dark Universe series, when the film was panned by critics and was a Box Office failure. 

The young daughter, Katie Cannon (Natalie Grace), of a journalist Charlie Cannon (Jack Reynor) disappears into the desert without a trace. Some eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare. Also starring Laia Costa as Charlie's wife Larissa and Veronica Falcon as Larissa's mother Carmen. The film is released Stateside this week too. 

'NORMAL' (Rated CTC) - is an American action film that is Directed by Ben Wheatley whose prior feature film making efforts take in his debut in 2009 with 'Down Terrace' and which he would follow up with the likes of 'A Field in England' in 2013, 'High Rise' in 2015, 'Free Fire' in 2016, 'Happy New Year, Colin Burstead' in 2018, 'Rebecca' in 2020 and 'Meg 2 : The Trench' in 2023. Here, for Sheriff Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk, who also Co-Wrote the story and is Co-Producer), his provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern American town of Normal, Minnesota, was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty. But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality's tranquil pace, a dark secret is inadvertently exposed, and Ulysses soon discovers that the town is anything but its namesake. Also starring Henry Winkler and Lena Headey. The film Premiered in the Midnight Madness programme at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year, and is released in the US this week also.

'FUZE' (Rated M) - this British crime thriller heist film is Co-Produced and Directed by David Mackenzie whose previous feature film Directorial output includes 'Young Adam' in 2003, 'Hallam Foe' in 2007, 'Perfect Sense' in 2011, 'Hell or High Water' in 2016, 'Outlaw King' in 2018 and 'Relay' in 2024. Here, set in modern day London, the film unfolds after an unexploded World War II bomb is unearthed at a busy construction site, forcing a massive citywide evacuation. Amid the escalating tension and chaos, a daring criminal operation is set in motion, one that uses the evacuation as cover for a meticulously planned heist. As authorities race against time to contain the crisis, alliances blur and moral boundaries are crossed. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Sam Worthington, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Honor Swinton Byrne. The film Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year at the Gala Presentations section, was released in the UK earlier this month, and has generated mixed or average critical reviews.

'THE STRANGER' (Rated M) - is a French drama film Written and Directed by Francois Ozon, whose prior prolific film output take in the likes of 'Water Drops on Burning Rocks' in 2000, '8 Women' in 2002, 'Swimming Pool' in 2003, 'Potiche' in 2010, 'In the House' in 2012, 'Frantz' in 2016, 'Everything Went Fine' in 2021, 'Peter von Kant' in 2022, and 'When Fall is Coming' in 2024. This film is based on the 1942 novel of the same bane by Albert Camus. Here, set in Algiers, in 1938, Meursault (Benjamin Voisin), a quiet and unassuming employee in his early thirties, attends his mother's funeral without shedding a tear. The next day, he begins a casual affair with Marie (Rebecca Marder), a work colleague. He quickly slips back into his usual routine. However, his daily life is soon about to be disrupted by his neighbour, Raymond Sintes (Pierre Lottin), who draws Meursault into his shady dealings. Until one blisteringly hot day, a tragic event occurs on a beach. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Venice International film Festival in early September last year where it was in official competition for the Golden Lion, it then opened in France in late October and only now is it released here in Australia having so far grossed US$7M and garnered universal critical acclaim. 

With four new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-