‘Shelter’ review: Jason Statham as rogue MI5 agent in Scottish Hebrides

In "Shelter," directed by Ric Roman Waugh and reviewed Jan. 29, 2026, Jason Statham plays Mason, a rogue former MI5 agent living in a lighthouse on an island in the Scottish Hebrides. The film opens when a winsome, curious teenage girl named Jackie is almost drowned in a storm and is reluctantly rescued and housed by Mason; her uncle supplies his provisions by boat, the review says.

The quiet isolation is shattered when Mason’s former MI5 handler locates his hideout and sets events in motion. The review notes that Bill Nighy plays the handler "in his driest snake mode" and dispatches a tetchy Russian assassin, with Jackie deemed expendable. The reviewer calls the spy-versus-spy scenario serviceable but not especially original, saying the screenplay by Ward Parry is unlikely to trouble the likes of Mick Harron (“Slow Horses”).

As a vehicle for Statham’s action work, the review finds the film effective: Statham’s Mason mostly improvises weapons by taking them from enemies he kills with his bare hands, and the movie delivers what the reviewer calls "bone-breaking escapades." The review also praises Bodhi Rae Breathnach’s range as Jackie, noting she moves from "Hamnet" to this role without seeming to break a sweat.

The review records factual details: "Shelter" is rated R, runs 1 hour 47 minutes and is in theaters.

shelter review, jason statham shelter, ric roman waugh director, ward parry screenplay, bill nighy handler, bodhi rae breathnach performance, rogue mi5 agent, scottish hebrides lighthouse, shelter running time, shelter rated r, russian assassin subplot, spy-versus-spy thriller, bone-breaking escapades, hamnet actress breathnach, mason character, jackie character, statham action scenes, improvised weapon fights, slow horses mick harron, black bear, shelter in theaters