Jason Statham is back in cinemas this week doing what he does best: beating up a bunch of bad guys. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, Shelter sees him play a reclusive man who, after he rescues a young girl from a deadly storm, has to confront his past to protect her.
Yes, it sounds like every other recent Statham movie like The Beekeeper, A Working Man and more, but we're not complaining. The first reviews have landed for Shelter and the majority confirm that the movie delivers exactly what you'd expect, with Deadline calling it "relentless" and the movie currently standing at 74% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Shelter also stars Daniel Mays, Bill Nighy, Naomi Ackie and newcomer Bodhi Rae Breathnach, who was also recently seen in Hamnet. If you still need more persuading to see Shelter, we've rounded up a selection of the first reviews below.
The Hollywood Reporter
"Shelter reliably provides plenty of the action that Statham fans crave, not to mention his trademark charisma and low-key underplaying that makes Charles Bronson look overly demonstrative."
The Arts Desk
"Formulaic and utterly Statham-esque though it is, Shelter is a tight and punchy thriller, directed with no-frills efficiency by Ric Roman Waugh."
Related: Watch the intense trailer for Jason Statham's new action-thriller
What to Read Next
HeyUGuys
"If you're a Statham devotee looking for your next action fix, Shelter delivers exactly what you’re signed up for. Just don’t go in expecting it to reinvent the wheel."
Deadline
"When you see Jason Statham starring in a one-word title you know exactly what kind of movie you are going to get, and his latest, Shelter, is right on brand."
Collider
"Waugh and Statham know their audience and usually know exactly what they want from their movies: badass action scenes, lots of guns, a few cool quips, and a mysterious backstory for the hero. Shelter gives you exactly that."
Related: UK film release dates
Next Best Picture
"Not every entry in this particular corner of cinema has to be of top-tier quality. Still, they should also be able to deliver more riveting material than what is served here in such an uninspired manner."
Little White Lies
"Statham's impressive physicality does little to add much juice to a film that expends much of its energy cleaving tightly to tired formula, with a script that is almost wall-to-wall cliché."
Shelter is released in cinemas on 30 January.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
