FUZE Doesn't Quite Ignite

FUZE (Blu-ray)

2025 / 97 min

Sony 

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

Fuze was directed by David Mackenzie, the guy behind Hell of High Water and Relay. Since those were among the best movies in the years they were released, my expectations were naturally a bit elevated. However, this one is comparatively disappointing, never rising above the level of passable time killer.

It’s got a good premise, though. In an urban London neighborhood, an unexploded bomb is discovered at a construction site, supposedly buried since World War II. The entire region is evacuated and the power is shut down, while an Army bomb squad led by Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) are brought in to try and defuse it.

Concurrently, a four-man crew of thieves sneak their way into the same area to perform a daring bank heist. Somewhat implausibly, the bomb was planted there as a distraction in order for these guys to get in, steal the cash & jewels, and get out. How they managed to sneak a giant explosive device into town and make it look like it’s been buried for years - without being noticed - is something the narrative chooses not to disclose. That’s a missed opportunity, in my opinion. How they accomplished such a feat would've made things more interesting.

"Of course I know what I'm doing. I'm wearing the hat, aren't I?"

Despite efforts to remain stealthy, the crew is eventually detected by police and the chase is on. Though managing to elude capture, the robbers run into more complications - and a double-cross - while trying to fence the jewels. Much of the film’s second half is a series of sequences created to set-up plot twists and character revelations during the climax.

But throughout the story, we’re never really invested in these characters, since nothing is revealed about any of them until after everything has transpired. By then, it's too little, too late, resulting in a movie that ends with a whimper rather than a bang. Still, Fuze is certainly watchable. It’s got a good cast (including Theo James and Sam Worthington) and a handful of taut action scenes. And like all good heist thrillers, the sequences depicting the robbery itself are engaging. From a technical standpoint, it’s slickly assembled and fast-paced.

It’s just that I expected a little more from MacKenzie, who’s previously shown a knack for combining plausible action, a compelling story and dynamic characters. While he doesn’t exactly drop the ball here, it’s kind of a shame Fuze ends up being the kind of movie we simply watch and forget about.

OBSESSION: Horror Worth the Hype

OBSESSION (4K + Blu-ray)

2025 / 109 min

Universal

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Having seen thousands of horror movies over my life, I’ve generally become immune to hype and box office numbers (and Obsession has had plenty of both). At the risk of coming across as snooty or arrogant, there have been too many times over the years when a movie touted as some kind of gamechanger has left me shrugging. A recent example would be Longlegs, which I thought was pretty good, but hardly a groundbreaking masterpiece. 

Though I did eventually plan to see Obsession, I was already sick of hearing about it a week after it was released.

However, when my 22 year old daughter, Lucy, came home gushing over Obsession after seeing it in a theater with her boyfriend, I had to take notice (especially when she went and watched it again the following weekend). We generally share similar tastes in horror, and despite her years, she also tends to avoid the hype train. So a glowing endorsement from Lucy carries a lot more weight than a Rotten Tomatoes score.

She also did me a solid in refusing to give me any details about it - not even the basic plot - for which I was grateful because horror movies are generally more fun when you have no idea what to expect. And I’m gonna do the same here because Obsession is definitely one of those dishes that’s best served cold. What I will say is that this might be the most deliriously entertaining variation of “The Monkey’s Paw” I’ve seen in years. Maybe ever.

When your order comes with free bread sticks.

Does it live up to the hype? In many ways, yes. Considering it was written and directed by a relative newbie (YouTuber Curry Barker) for less than a million bucks, it’s extremely well made, both technically and narratively. After a fairly benign opening act, the film grows increasingly and methodically creepy. Though never flat-out terrifying, Barker does a tremendous job building dread throughout the story, which is occasionally punctuated by scenes of shocking violence (not necessarily in terms of what they show, but that they come without warning). 

In addition to effectively building tension and throwing in welcome doses of black comedy, Obsession’s success as a horror film lies in its characters, most notably Bear (Michael Johnston), whose morally questionable actions - despite his emotional sincerity behind them - renders him more complex than your average protagonist. However, it’s co-star Inde Navarette who steals the entire film as Nikki. By turns, she renders the character endearing, funny, sympathetic, unpredictable and menacing. In fact, much of the actual horror in Obsession stems from Navarette’s performance.

Though one particular scene sort-of foreshadows how things will turn out, the climax still manages to subvert expectations with an ironic (and morbidly amusing) turn of events that I personally didn’t see coming. While I’m not yet ready to declare Obsession a gamechanger within the genre, it’s the most wildly entertaining horror film I’ve seen so far this year. I’m still sick of hearing about it, though.

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

FEATURETTE - Obsession Unleashed is a solid 20 minute documentary, with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with writer-director Curry Barker and the main cast.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer-director Curry Barker.

Hire THE HOUSEMAID

THE HOUSEMAID (Blu-ray)

2025 / 131 min

Lionsgate

Review by Princess Pepper😺

We get these from time to time…a psychological thriller with a sexy cast that comes out of nowhere to become a sleeper hit. In that sense, The Housemaid could be seen as this decade’s Gone Girl and is definitely cut from the same cloth. This one’s more preposterous, heavy-handed and ultimately kinda predictable, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.

Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney) is a homeless parolee who lies about her past to get hired by Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) as the live-in housemaid for the mansion she shares with her successful, handsome husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter Cece (Indiana Elle). Almost immediately, Nina appears mentally unstable, repeatedly flipping on the crazy switch and directing most of her cruelty and venom at Millie. Since losing the job means going back to prison, Millie quietly suffers Nina’s increasingly vicious tirades. All the while, Andrew keeps apologizing for his wife’s behavior and becomes protective of Millie, which ultimately leads to…

…well, you’ll figure out where that particular relationship is going long before the characters do. At any rate, the film’s first hour sets up the meat of the story…a series of narrative plot twists calculated to have the viewer questioning who the real villains are. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I won’t elaborate on any of them, but will say that some you’ll see coming, others might be a surprise. The Housemaid also snatches a page or two from the Gone Girl handbook for its own purposes, such as flashbacks presented to reveal the truth behind what we’ve already been shown. The film culminates in a wild, bloody climax clearly intended to evoke visceral reactions from the audience, which it more or less accomplishes.

Best sammich ever.

Though The Housemaid is longer than it needs to be, especially with its sometimes laborious first act, director Paul Feig manages to step out of his comfort zone (he’s mostly known for comedies) to deliver an engaging, occasionally lurid thriller that pushes a lot of the right buttons. And interspersed among scenes of gratuitous sex and some butt-puckering violence are welcome moments of black comedy (the final scene is particularly amusing). A couple of gonzo performances add to the fun. While Sweeney might be Hollywood’s current Flavor of the Month - largely for aesthetic reasons - both Seyfried and Sklenar easily steal the film. The former, in particular, serves up some wildly entertaining scenery-chewing.

None of this will ever be mistaken for high art, but it’s generally a lot of fun. As psychological thrillers go, what The Housemaid lacks in originality (and perhaps plausibility) is compensated by pure exuberance. Being a surprise hit, a sequel has already been announced, but since the premise precludes any notion of lightning striking twice, I think everyone involved should quit while they're ahead.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - From Page to Panic: Making The Housemaid is a pretty decent 35 minute behind-the-scenes doc featuring numerous interviews; Secrets of the Winchester House: A Housemaid Tour looks at the mansion itself; A Peek Inside is a brief promotional doc. 

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - Both feature director Paul Feig, with others involved with the film joining him for the second one.

DELETED SCENES

TRAILER

COMPANION Is Full of Surprises

COMPANION (Blu-ray)

2025 / 97 min

From Warner Bros #InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

Part of me wishes I could’ve watched Companion without any prior knowledge of the premise. But I get it…you can’t market a sci-fi horror thriller without at least dropping a hint that its main character, Iris (Sophie Thatcher), is a robot created and programmed to be a loving soulmate. Still, even the Blu-ray cover tends to undermine the big revelation writer-director Drew Hancock masterfully builds up to during the first act.

On the other hand, Hancock has plenty of other surprises up his sleeve, most of which the viewer isn’t likely to see coming. More importantly, the basic plot subverts our assumptions that Companion is yet-another tale of AI gone bad. So no…Iris doesn’t become an unstoppable Terminator or malicious Weyland Yutani android. In fact, she’s the main protagonist.

Shopping in Stepford.

To avoid spoiling some of the movie’s wild, wonderful twists and turns, I’m gonna refrain from going into any more story details. I will say that Companion features a consistently compelling narrative, excellent overall performances (especially Thatcher) and well-realized characters, most of whom, at one point or another, are not who they seem to be when first introduced. This is all largely thanks to a well-constructed, intelligent screenplay that also addresses such timely issues as toxic relationships, personal autonomy and, of course, the ramifications of AI technology.

That’s not to say Companion is some kind of serious cautionary tale. Though certainly offering ideas and themes that are worth pondering, it’s mainly a wildly entertaining sci-fi thrill ride. Suspenseful, violent and sometimes wickedly funny, it’s a fast-paced film that doesn’t wear out its welcome with unnecessary peripherals, building to a satisfying climax and resolution. So far, this is one of the best of the year.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Companion: I Feel Therefore I Am focuses on Sophie Thatcher’s role as Iris; Companion: Love, Eli features Harvey Gullen discussing his character; AI Horror includes details related to the special effects.

DIGITAL COPY

STRANGE DARLING is Best Served Cold

STRANGE DARLING (Blu-ray)

2024 / 96 min

FROM MAGENTA LIGHT STUDIOS

Review by Princess Pepper😺

Strange Darling is another one of those movies where knowing anything about the plot beforehand destroys the fun of watching it. And trust me, you want to go into this one cold because it’s one of the more surprising and original thrillers released this year.

So I’m gonna forgo the usual plot synopsis, other than saying it involves a one-night stand gone wrong and a serial killer. Strange Darling has a nonlinear narrative presented in six chapters, beginning with Chapter 3. But this isn’t some kind of gimmicky stunt by writer-director JT Mollner. To tell this story in sequence would totally ruin all of his surprises…most of which you will not see coming. It hooks us with a thrilling start that the comparatively dull first chapter wouldn’t have.

Strange Parking.

We’re frequently lured into thinking we know what’s happening. But just when you figure you’ve got the plot and characters pegged, another chapter comes along to undermine your assumptions. Every story turn is another piece of the puzzle which, when completed, reveals a a twisted, bloody picture. It’s only during Chapter 6 and the epilogue that the film becomes more conventional (and maybe just a bit draggier). But even with all the pieces now in place and the plot twists behind us, the wild and violent finale is worth sticking around for. 

The two main characters, The Lady and The Demon, are well conceived and benefit from lively performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. Elsewhere, the film is generally well-paced and looks really good, thanks to some impressive cinematography (by Giovanni Ribisi, of all people). A great little thriller, Strange Darling makes being misled a helluva lotta fun.