Jason Statham’s Latest R-Rated Film Scores Better Than You Think on Rotten Tomatoes

Jason Statham has another R-rated bruiser in theaters, and early reactions say it does exactly what you think a Statham movie is going to do. It is lean, familiar, and pointed straight at fans who want crunching fights plus a dash of feelings.

The basics

'Shelter' currently sits at 74% on Rotten Tomatoes from 31 critic reviews. Ric Roman Waugh directs, Ward Parry wrote it, and it hit theaters on January 30, 2026. The movie runs 1 hour and 47 minutes and plays in the action/mystery/thriller sandbox.

"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."

What the movie is about (spoiler-light)

Jonathan Sim at ComingSoon lays out the setup: Statham plays Michael Mason, a loner living off the grid on a remote Scottish island. He pulls a young girl out of the water and, from there, his quiet life explodes. Their uneasy connection becomes the movie's emotional anchor. Meanwhile, an MI6 thread weaves in with Bill Nighy as a senior intelligence figure pushing a mass-surveillance program, which brings a lot of screen time to spying protocols, camera grids, and tracking. Expect gritty, hands-on fights and a standout nightclub set piece that is messy, slick, and genuinely fun. Sim called the structure familiar, gave it a 6.5/10, and said it is exactly the movie you think it is.

How the critics are reacting

• Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter: Marked it Fresh. Says the movie reliably supplies the kind of bone-crunching action Statham fans come for, and praises Statham's trademark low-key presence, joking he is so understated he makes Charles Bronson look showy.
• Jacob Oller, AV Club: Also Fresh, with a C+. Calls it Waugh's discount take on a Bourne-style supersoldier thriller.
• David Jenkins, Little White Lies: Rotten, 1/5. Feels Statham's physical chops cannot juice up a story that clings too tightly to a worn-out formula.
• Linda Marric, HeyUGuys: 3/5. Says the movie gives you exactly what you signed up for.
• Pete Hammond, Deadline: Fresh. Sees 'Shelter' as pure Statham brand delivery (see quote above).
• Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon: 6.5/10. Highlights the central bond as the heart of the film, notes the surveillance-heavy sequences, praises the gritty, physical action and the chaotic, stylish nightclub scene, and underlines the very familiar shape of the story.

Bottom line

'Shelter' is an R-rated Statham vehicle that is comfortable in its lane: hard-knuckle action, a small emotional core, some espionage texture, and a pace that keeps things moving. If you want reinvention, this is not that. If you want Statham doing what he does, critics say you are covered.