Shelter (2026)

Jason Statham is arguably the most reliable actor in Hollywood. He has at least one new movie out ever year and it's always released theatrically. He actually holds the record for having over fifty live-action theatrical releases with no direct to DVD/streaming/VOD releases, which is impressive as hell. Is every movie great? Not at all (I'm looking at you Exp4ndables) but for the most part you know what you are going to get and he delivers.

So, when I sat down a week or so ago to watch Shelter, I was expecting a fun, action film that is a little over-the-top and probably close in story to another movie he made Safe. I knew Shelter was about a man protecting a young girl, which is basically the plot of Safe, and I was happy to experience that once again. What I wasn't expecting was a drab, depressing film with amazing action sequences and very solid acting that had more in common with The Professional than Safe. In fact, it was so bleak at times, I actually stopped it halfway through and waited to finish it up when I was in a mood for that type of film.

If you've ever seen Statham's Redemption, you know he has a bit more range than your typical action star and he is believable as a man with no hope. In Shelter, Statham portrays a man who lives alone on an abandoned island who receives supplies once a week via a small boat manned by a young girl and her uncle. Without spoiling anything, the young girl comes to find herself on the island alone with Statham as he becomes a hunted man, and she becomes a risk. Statham is a man who is living to die and he's made peace with that life. All that changes when he's suddenly forced to deal with a young girl, whose loss and loneliness surpasses his own. Bodhi Rae Breathnach is the young girl and she puts on a convincing and solid performance. I can see her being the next big thing in a few years.

Despite the drab, dreary setting, the film is beautifully shot and it really elevates this above your typical action film. In fact, I struggle to call this an action film, as I feel it's more of a drama with some great action scenes. I was expecting the director to be European, but its directed by Ric Roman Waugh who is probably best known for directing Greenland or Angel Has Fallen. I'll give him credit, he elevated a story we've seen multiple times and put a slight twist on the tone which makes Shelter stand out.

The question is Shelter good? Yes, I believe it is. I do think you need to go into the movie expecting something different from Statham's last two outings in The Beekeeper and Working Man and settle in for something that takes its time and is a brooding. The action is brutal and great, but there is no fun or jokes between action sequences. It’s all serious, all the time.

Yesterday, the trailer for Statham's next film Mutiny debuted and it looks like an absolute blast. It's directed by French director Jean-François Richet who directed the highly underrated Plane from 2023 and the remake of Assault on Precinct 13 from 2005.