Shelter Review: Jason Statham's Latest Action Thriller
Shelter (15, 107 minutes) presents Jason Statham as Michael Mason, a rugged special forces veteran living off-grid in a disused lighthouse on a remote Scottish island. The film's verdict describes it as "Jason and the juggernaut", with Statham's character seeking solitude with only his dog for company.
Plot and Character Development
When a fierce storm delivers young Jesse (played by Bodhi Rae Breathnach) into Mason's care, the former soldier finds himself protecting the child from rogue MI6 elements determined to eliminate him. This follows Statham's recent roles in The Beekeeper (2024) and A Working Man (2025), where he similarly portrayed special forces veterans attempting to maintain low profiles.
The narrative sees Mason and Jesse journey from the Hebrides to mainland Scotland and eventually London, with Mason demonstrating remarkable combat skills while maintaining his characteristically gruff whisper of a voice. The film features supporting performances from Harriet Walter and Bill Nighy, directed by Ric Roman Waugh.
Action Sequences and Musical Score
Shelter delivers intense action sequences as Mason dispatches numerous commandos and evades authorities. However, the film's musical score has drawn attention for its increasingly histrionic approach, with strings and percussion sections competing to underscore the thriller elements.
The climax involves a nightclub confrontation with human traffickers, creating what the film describes as "murder on the dancefloor" under the cover of throbbing music. Throughout, Mason's distinctive knitwear and beanie become almost as prominent as his combat skills.
Primate: Horror Thriller with Killer Chimpanzee
Primate (18, 89 minutes) offers a very different cinematic experience, described as "Family pet goes ape". This British horror-thriller directed by Johannes Roberts features significantly fewer deaths than Shelter but presents them with far greater gruesomeness.
Plot Premise and Characters
The film centres on Ben, a chimpanzee who transforms from beloved family pet to psychotic killer after being bitten by a rabid mongoose. The Pinborough family - comprising deaf-mute author Adam (played by deaf actor Troy Kotsur), his college student daughter Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah), and younger daughter Erin (Gia Hunter) - find themselves terrorised in their palatial Hawaiian clifftop home.
The narrative explores what happens when extreme affluence meets screen psycho terror, with the family's wealth proving no protection against the chimpanzee's rampage. Early in the film, veterinarian character played by Rob Delaney meets a particularly grim fate even before the opening titles.
Themes and Visual Elements
Primate presents a stark warning about treating wild animals as domestic pets, with Ben sporting human clothing including a T-shirt and shorts reminiscent of 1970s PG Tips advertisements. The film generates genuine suspense amid extreme gore, raising questions about how primatologists like the late Dame Jane Goodall might view such portrayals.
Is This Thing On?: Comedy Drama Review
Is This Thing On? (15, 121 minutes) receives the verdict "Not for me" in this review. Directed and co-written by Bradley Cooper, the film adapts a portion of British comedian John Bishop's life story into an American context.
Storyline and Cast
Will Arnett plays Alex Novak, whose marriage to former volleyball international Tess (Laura Dern) has deteriorated despite producing two sons. When Alex reluctantly takes the stage at Greenwich Village's famous Comedy Cellar, he discovers stand-up comedy provides therapeutic expression for his marital troubles.
Bradley Cooper appears as Alex's actor friend Balls, in what represents Cooper's third directorial effort following A Star Is Born (2018) and Maestro (2023).
Critical Assessment
While the film presents a touching story based on true events, the review identifies significant weaknesses. Alex's comedy routines fail to deliver genuine humour despite the character's growing success on the stand-up circuit. Furthermore, Tess's portrayal as a former elite athlete lacks credibility in physical scenes.
The narrative suffers from elements that "ring false", with peripheral characters including Cooper's Balls proving particularly irritating according to the review. Despite strong performances from Arnett and Dern, the film's over-long runtime and unconvincing elements ultimately disappoint.
Cinema Releases Summary
All three films - Shelter, Primate, and Is This Thing On? - are currently showing in cinemas nationwide. Shelter offers classic Jason Statham action with a Scottish twist, Primate delivers horror-thriller tension with animal terror, and Is This Thing On? presents a comedy drama exploring marital breakdown and therapeutic comedy.
Each film represents distinct genres and approaches, from Shelter's special forces veteran narrative to Primate's animal horror premise and Is This Thing On?'s exploration of personal crisis through stand-up comedy. Cinema audiences now have diverse options across action, horror, and comedy genres.
