In Shelter, an isolated man gets some unexpected company that turns his life upside-down.
Mason (Jason Statham) lives on a remote island. Once a week, a boat brings supplies, which a girl named Jesse (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) leaves at his doorstep. When an accident leaves her injured and alone, Mason is compelled to upend his routine and bring her into his life. Unfortunately, he has to expose himself to elements he’s painstakingly tried to avoid to help her. In the meantime, the head of MI-6 (Bill Nighy) is under fire for a protecting surveillance system that’s monitoring citizens.
Recent casting trends show that if you have a girl that needs help or rescuing, Statham is your man. Beyond the franchise films he’s made in the last few years, he’s primarily played reluctant heroes. In these movies, a girl or vulnerable woman is in trouble and he resolves to make her safe again — by any means necessary.
Yet, this isn’t the most action-packed of Statham’s pictures. Outside of some surprising traps and a couple of sudden deaths, the skirmishes are standard fair. Nonetheless, the fight scenes are expectedly hard-hitting and fast-paced. And even though one of the clashes ends in overkill, it’s a cool effect and delivers satisfaction to audiences.
However, the film has some pacing issues. Mason faces the same attacker too many times over the course of 107 minutes. Sadly, the narrative also breaks one of cinema’s cardinal rules. Fortunately, the circumstances lessen the impact.
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Starring: Jason Statham, Bodhi Rae Breathnach and Bill Nighy
