Apex

Movie Name: Apex
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Starring: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana, Matt Whelan, Aaron Pedersen
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Another Netflix production to emerge, once again featuring Charlize Theron, who has been working with the streaming platform for quite some time now (their first joint collaboration was "The Old Guard", which premiered in 2020). "Apex" focuses on the story of Sasha, a woman whom we first encounter alongside her husband attempting to climb the Troll Wall. That attempt has dramatic results, when severe weather impacts their progression, and Tommy dies as a result of an avalanche. Five months later Sasha is in Australia, driving towards Wandarra National Park. She stops at a ranger station and learns of a series of disappearances in the area. She also gets approached by a few men, though the situation is quickly defused when a stranger by the name of Ben intervenes. She continues her journey, and at night while setting up camp notices the same men appear once again. She dismisses the situation, and the following morning she takes her kayak down the rapids. She eventually encounters Ben again, who offers her some food. He quickly reveals that he knows more about her than he led her to believe, and threatens her with a crossbow. He states he will give her a head start, but then he will start hunting her. Sasha desperately tries to evade him, but he seems to know where she is at all times. Ben eventually captures her, and she's horrified by what she discovers.

It's perplexing that an actress with the range and ability of Charlize Theron has spent the last 7 years working with material that can be considered mediocre at best. Sadly "Apex" does not improve her track record, as it is another tepid film that while attempting to marry Curtis Hanson's "The River Wild" with Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity", with some splashes of Danny Boyle's "127 Hours" (I mention "Gravity" because it's a female centric narrative of a survivor trying to escape insurmountable odds), it ends up being a film that lacks any character depth, originality, or even a sense of adventure. For the duration of the film all characters are an enigma, with very little insight into what they do, what their ambitions are, and ultimately who they are as fully rounded individuals. While the film initially suggests some subtlety or something in the neighborhood of what Coralie Fargeat did with "Revenge", who essentially flipped the revenge film on its head, and progressively revealed the darkness behind the characters, Baltasar Kormakur and the screenwriter Jeremy Robbins don't have the skill or interest to subvert anything. "Apex" tries to create the impression of being a "survival thriller", where a serial killer in the woods attempts to capture a traumatized woman who has skills that enable her to be far more resourceful than his typical victims. Sadly the script goes for the shock (or schlock if that is more believable), never demonstrating any particular motivation for Ben, whereas Sasha has considerable financial resources, no family demands, no job to speak of, and miraculous healing powers. Kudos to the creative team behind this film who believed this dreck of a script was actually salvageable. It's a film that has very little to offer, including something for its actors to do, and for the audience who has to sit through something that is so forgettable and poorly written. The production team is competent, particularly Lawrence Sher's cinematography. Hopefully Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton realize they can do better, and start choosing their film roles a bit better. This is nearly the nadir for their careers. Avoid and watch Coralie Fargeat's "Revenge" instead.