Aaron Taylor-Johnson talks ‘Fuze’, a London thriller with a twist

I’m Aaron Taylor-Johnson and I play Major Will Tranter in the film Fuze. My character is an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) specialist in the movie. A bomb has been discovered in a building site in the Paddington area of London at the start of the movie. My character has been called in to take control of the mission in contact with the police evacuation team.

We tried to achieve authenticity in the film. I worked closely with EOD Nick Orr, ex-military, who still works in the field for humanitarian organisations to clear unexploded ordnance (UXO). He’s a high-level expert who’s seen it all. The director, David McKenzie, and I consulted with him about the script, the props, the equipment – basically everything I use, say and do in the film has been through his lens. It’s the second film I’ve made with McKenzie.

Of course, there’s a balance between striving for authenticity and telling a dramatic story. There are twists and turns where we use creative license and sometimes gallows humour, which works well in the more chaotic situations. Other times we wanted to emphasise the pressure, the fear and the anxiety.

It was a page-turning, intensely thrilling script. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat, knowing that lives are at stake. A bomb is found, the evacuation begins and then you realise that, simultaneously, a heist is taking place. The bomb is a decoy for something bigger with more players involved.

Zuzanna, played by South African actor Gugu Mamba-Raw, is the police chief superintendent. She’s an incredible actor. Her character is in charge of the police cordon and evacuation from a safe distance. Together we try to diffuse the World War 2 bomb On Edgware Road.

We tried to capture London in a way it hasn’t been seen before, without alienating the American market. There’s a focus on a small part of the city, a busy, multicultural high street that has to be evacuated. It could be New York, or any major city. The bomb is discovered in a construction site and, in the middle of the evacuation, a bank robbery is taking place and a chase happens. Was the bomb placed there? This isn’t wildly unrealistic because World War 2 bombs have been discovered in recent years.

Theo James plays Karalis, the leader of a crew of bank robbers. He constantly gets into sticky situations – he’s completely untrustworthy. He takes advantage of everyone he comes into contact with. Theo has a balance of charisma and brashy ego and arrogance. He’s so enjoyable to watch. Despite being the bad guy, he’s a lovable character you can’t take your eyes off.

Elham Eshasa plays my interpreter in Afghanistan. I became close friends with him while filming in London. Saffron Hocking plays Military Sergeant Dootsie Keane. She brought so much to the character, the reality and the seriousness of what her job entails. She’s a versatile actor who, in the role, commands the attention of the sappers (combat engineers responsible for mobility, counter-mobility and survivability on the battlefield). She has control of all the lads on the bomb site.

This thriller is edgy, funny, gritty and keeps you engrossed to the end. The characters are all flawed, human and very interesting.