Charlize Theron becomes the prey to a sadistic Taron Egerton in the new Netflix thriller Apex, which puts a solid spin on The Most Dangerous Game concept.
Theron plays Sasha, an outdoor adventurer on a trip to Australia five months after a tragedy while climbing the Troll Wall in Norway with her husband, Tommy (Eric Bana). Looking to travel down the rapids of Wandarra National Park, she encounters a local named Ben (Taron Egerton), who, while seemingly friendly at first, reveals that he’s been tracking Sasha since she arrived and forces her to participate in a hunting “ritual”. While the movie starts as a seemingly straightforward Most Dangerous Game-style chase, it mixes things up in the second half as the full nature of Ben’s “ritual” is revealed, and various scenarios play out. Nothing is that surprising plot-wise, but it’s a solid thriller that keeps the pace moving, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome, coming in at just over 90 minutes.
Theron and Egerton are both great, which is good because the entire movie is basically just them on screen. If you had someone in either role who couldn’t hold up their end, acting-wise, the movie would really be a slog. Egerton especially leans into Ben’s animalistic insanity, constantly making strange bird and animal calls and moving and stalking like a predator. He nails a great mix of overeager friendliness and disturbing menace. Theron doesn’t get the same showy role that Egerton has, but she’s a great, stoic action hero, and you completely buy that she is capable of doing all the outdoor activities her character does, whether it’s mountain climbing or kayaking rapids. Theron trained intensively with professional climber Beth Rodden and did most of her own climbing stunts. It adds to the tension and thrill when you know that many of the stunts are actually happening, and the climbing sequences are especially heart-pounding. There is, of course, some CGI deployed in certain sequences, but most of the movie feels real and intense. The locations really help elevate the movie above similar films, as the Australian wilderness offers breathtaking vistas and interesting settings for action sequences. It’s a huge step above some people just running around in the woods with a camera.
Apex is a solid thriller elevated by the gorgeous locations and the performances of Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton. If you’re looking for some thrilling outdoor action sequences, definitely fire up Netflix and check Apex out.
