Apex Feels More Like a Real Movie Than Your Average Netflix Joint

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The movie Apex takes a sharp turn when it’s revealed not to be a quiet story about grief, but a deadly hunt. During this shift, Taron Egerton’s character, Ben, reflects on why people enjoy extreme activities. He dismisses common explanations like striving for perfection or feeling more alive, suggesting some people are simply wired for risk. This idea proves surprisingly relevant to Charlize Theron’s character, Sasha, as the film unfolds. Apex, directed by Baltasar Kormákur and written by Jeremy Robbins, is largely a fast-paced chase through the Australian Blue Mountains. While it prioritizes action, the film occasionally pauses to reveal the underlying restlessness that drives Sasha to constantly push herself and others to their limits.

Okay, so the movie starts with Sasha and her partner, Tommy, tackling this crazy, dangerous climb in Norway. You immediately get the sense things aren’t perfect – Tommy’s hinting he’s maybe done with this extreme lifestyle, but Sasha isn’t really listening, playfully ribbing him about getting older. Then, tragically, he dies on the climb. Months later, still reeling, Sasha decides to head to Australia, Tommy’s homeland, to kayak and try to come to terms with everything. She stops at a gas station and runs into some unpleasant guys, but also meets Ben – this really friendly, outdoorsy dude who makes his own jerky. He points her to a good campsite, even though she’s a bit standoffish. After a solo kayaking run, she gets back to find her campsite trashed, and it turns out Ben’s been watching her. It’s not random; he actively seeks out people to… well, hunt, basically. It’s this messed-up game he plays. Sasha’s tough, no doubt, but so is Ben, and the movie really builds tension as they start this dangerous cat-and-mouse chase through the forests and canyons. It’s a pretty suspenseful setup.

Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur first gained recognition with his 2006 crime drama, Jar City, and has since worked across various genres and locations. He directed Mark Wahlberg in the smuggling thriller Contraband (2012) and followed it up with the buddy-cop comedy 2 Guns (2013), starring Wahlberg and Denzel Washington. More recently, he’s become known for films focused on the dangers of the natural world, including the mountaineering disaster Everest and Beast, featuring Idris Elba battling a lion in South Africa. Kormákur clearly appreciates both the beauty and the deadly potential of wilderness environments, and his skill in filming these settings, combined with stunning locations, gives Apex a sense of realism rarely seen in Netflix movies. While the film is a straightforward, action-packed story, it acknowledges a common theme in Australian cinema: that the wilderness and its inhabitants can both be dangerous. Taron Egerton, delivering a performance reminiscent of James McAvoy, playfully references this tradition when his character is forced to admit he’s an outsider, despite his familiarity with the landscape, having moved there as a child with his mother.

Charlize Theron excels in the film’s intense action scenes, throwing herself into physically demanding stunts like downhill runs, river crossings, and rock climbing. However, it’s the quieter moments that truly shine, revealing a compelling complexity. Theron portrays a character who projects a cool, self-reliant exterior, a careful balance between independence and detachment. A scene where Sasha is cornered at a campsite highlights the constant vigilance required for a woman traveling alone. The film also subtly explores whether Sasha’s strength and determination have inadvertently made her less accepting of vulnerability in others, even those she cares about. While Apex doesn’t fully connect the emotional baggage of all its characters, it’s a strong reminder of Theron’s talent as a consistently impressive action star.

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2026-04-24 21:54