Some actors constantly push themselves to bold new places. Others find their comfort zone and remain there content. Jason Statham falls into the latter. Statham has been playing the poised yet grizzled tough guy for around three decades now. It’s what he’s good at, and his fans will probably like Shelter purely on the basis that he’s in it. Personally, I enjoy Statham as an action star, to a degree. He’s a charismatic screen presence, but there’s only so much heavy lifting one actor can do before asking someone else for support. The supporting cast in Shelter isn’t quite up to the task, other than one up-and-comer.
Bodhi Rae Breathnach, who was most recently seen as the eldest Shakespeare daughter in Hamnet, continues to show promise as Jesse, a young girl who routinely makes trips to a remote lighthouse with her uncle. They drop off supplies for Statham’s Mason, the lighthouse keeper. The lighthouse itself isn’t active, however. Mason spends his nights eating porridge and sitting in the dark, his only company being his dog. Jesse makes three when she gets stranded on the island, forcing Mason to look after her. Of course, it turns out that Mason has a mysterious past, which eventually requires him and Jesse to go on the run.
It’s a pretty genetic setup, yet one that could be done well with the right casting and direction. Statham can pretty much do this role in his sleep while still coming off as invested. Breathnach holds her own against Statham, although there isn’t much to Mason and Jesse’s dynamic. From Léon: The Professional to The Last of Us, we’ve this kind of duo in countless other stories. The audience keeps waiting for the Shelter to put a unique spin on their relationship, but the characters are never made especially memorable.
Still, Statham and Breathnach would have just enough chemistry to keep Shelter afloat if the antagonists gave us a reason to fear for Mason and Jesse’s well-being. The villains here are a bore, however. Even Bill Nighy isn’t given much meat to chew on as the big bag who wants Mason taken out. He entrusts this task to one of the most forgettable assassins of recent memory. This isn’t a knock against actor Bronson Webb, who has several notable credits to his name. He’s given nothing to work with on paper, though. His character is a blank slate, which may’ve been the idea, but you get little satisfaction seeing him go up against Statham. Naomi Ackie is also present, although her role primarily consists of looking at computer screens.
Statham is at his best when you put him in over-the-top scenarios (The Beekeeper, Hobbs & Shaw). Part of what made those movies enjoyable is how straight Statham played it, never acknowledging that he was in a goofy action flick. Here, Statham is given a straightforward script with competent yet standard direction. Couple that with Statham’s stone-faced performance, and there isn’t much fun to be had in Shelter. That said, Statham is still an appealing screen presence. Chances are that if you’re simply looking for your Jason Statham fix, Shelter will be sufficient enough. If this formula is starting to wear thin, though, you might leave a little Stathamed out.