Audiences have delivered their official verdict on one of the most underrated action thrillers of the year, and it’s so positive that the film has become one of the biggest movies on streaming. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven the Hunter, Bullet Train) and Theo James (The White Lotus, The Gentlemen), the film didn’t get much attention during its initial run in theaters, but as expected, it gained momentum once it arrived on streaming. This is a white-knuckle, twisty ride you might want to catch up on.
‘Fuze’ Is Blowing Up the Streaming Charts
After a short theatrical run in April 2026, Fuze arrived on streaming, where it has finally found its audience. This riveting blend of Heat and The Hurt Locker is now one of the most successful movies on streaming at the moment, sitting at the No. 2 spot on HBO Max‘s list of most-watched titles in the United States. Other films on the list include the big studio hits Supergirl, Miss Congeniality, Horton Hears a Who!, and American Made.
David Mackenzie, best known for directing the Taylor Sheridan masterpiece Hell or High Water, directs Fuze, while Ben Hopkins handles the screenplay. Aside from Taylor-Johnson and James, Fuze also stars Sam Worthington (Avatar), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Loki, The Morning Show), Elham Ehsas, Luke Mably, Saffron Hocking, and Shaun Mason. It is a production of Sigma Films, the small studio responsible for Under the Skin, Outlaw King, and Citadel, among others.
A Straight-Up, No-Holds-Barred Action Thriller
Fuze follows the events after a bomb is discovered beneath a construction site in a London neighborhood. Everyone in the area is evacuated as bomb disposal specialist Will Tranter (Taylor-Johnson) prepares to defuse the device. At the same time, X (Worthington) and George (James) lead a gang of bank robbers who use the bomb as a distraction to break into a bank vault. Pretty simple, right?
However, not everything is what it seems in Fuze. At the end of the second act, something happens that causes the movie to go in a new direction. Although the narrative feels a bit rushed at this point, there’s a reason for that. There is an unexpected twist that reshapes everything we’ve seen, revealing the motivations and backstories of the most important characters in the movie. It’s a “Heat meets The Hurt Locker” style of plot (Mackenzie did reveal that the 2008 Oscar winner served as inspiration), but the third act reveals something more complicated that pushes the viewer toward a less conventional conclusion.
Even though the movie ends on a somewhat humorous note that might not appeal to all viewers, the critical reception has been positive, and today it holds a 72% critics’ score with a Certified Fresh label on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score is higher at 78%, confirming its popularity with viewers. Critic Fletcher Powell said it better in his review for KMUW – Wichita Public Radio: “Before [the last 10 minutes], this is one of the better action thrillers I’ve seen in a while, and besides, it’s all about the journey, not the destination, right?”
