“Shelter” A Formulaic, Yet Intense Action-Thriller

In the latest action movie starring Jason Statham, “Shelter” is about a reclusive man who rescues a young girl from a deadly storm, drawing them both into danger. Forced out of isolation, he must confront his turbulent past while protecting her, sending them on a tense journey of survival and redemption.

“Shelter” is another action movie featuring Statham doing what he does best lately - portraying a guy who’s hiding from his secretive past that ultimately comes back to haunt him. So, even though it's a generic and formulaic action movie, it’s still solid entertainment.

“Shelter” delivers plenty more of the usual high-octane Jason Statham action that has a grounded, “old school” feel. In between the several action scenes scattered throughout, there are also some emotional moments as we see Statham’s character becoming more protective of the young girl.

A lot of the action sequences that we get to see are really well choreographed and the filmmakers use the good ol’ practical stuntwork instead of over-relying on CGI. And just like most of his action-packed moments in other movies, the action sequences here with Statham can get really tense.

While some of the action-packed moments can stand out, the one sequence that’s really my favorite is the booby-trapped refuge where Statham’s character has been living. While a bunch of assassins try to get to Mason (Statham), a series of lethal, pre-prepared traps go off and the entire sequence is intense and will easily appease any die-hard action fan.

There’s also a really awesome club shootout towards the end that action fans will likely enjoy.Yet, now it seems like there’s always a club shootout scene in a lot of action movies anymore - especially since the “John Wick” movies. Also throughout the movie,

the growing tender bond between Mason and the young girl, Jesse, helps provide significant emotional weight - which also shows a more vulnerable side to the action star that’s rarely seen.

Overall, “Shelter” is a gritty, formulaic action-thriller. Now while the plot can be a little thin and predictable, the movie’s intense action and the Mason/Jesse story easily makes up for it.

Cast: Jason Statham (Michael Mason); Bodhi Rae Breathnach (Jesse); Bill Nighy (Manafort); Naomi Ackie (Roberta); Daniel Mays (Arthur Booth)

Writer/director: Ward Perry (writer); Ric Roman Waugh (director) (Greenland 2: Migration; Kandahar; Angel Has Fallen; Snitch; Greenland) QUICK SIDE NOTE: I almost forgot that “Greenland 2” even came out a few weeks ago!

MPA: Rated R for violence and some language   (runtime 107 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz1OM1Xl61w

• Scenes were shot in Wicklow, Ireland early 2025.

• The decrepit lighthouse and building where Mason (Jason Statham) lives at the beginning of the film was actually built from scratch by the art department. After filming of these scenes ended the structure was taken down and the building materials shipped to England and were re-purposed for scenes in Hamnet (2025) as the same art department team worked on both movies.

• For tax break reasons the majority of this film (i,.e. the scenes set in Scotland) were filmed in the Republic of Ireland.