Apex is an intense thriller that just doesn’t let up. From its skillfully shot opening moments on a mountain all the way through to the picture’s terrifying last sequences, this is a suspenseful cinematic ride that is effectively set in the Australian wilderness. Apex has all the markings of a movie that will captivate fans of action movies that play out with roller-coaster ride-level intensity.
Filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur has crafted a truly terrifying tale of survival with Apex. There is a very small cast of characters in the film. But the lead actress, Oscar-winner Charlize Theron, is more than up to the task of having the audience root for her character, Sasha.
She is a woman who initially seeks peace in the wilderness. Instead, however, she finds terror waiting for her at every turn.
Taron Egerton is cast opposite Theron in Apex. Egerton’s character, Ben, is the first truly intriguing psychopath at the movies this year, and the actor revels in the creepiness and evil that his character conveys over the course of the film.
Apex is a cat-and-mouse game like no other that will simply intensify with each passing minute of the picture.
Sasha is easy to relate to right from the beginning of the movie. She has experienced a lot of intensity in her life and seeks a break from the chaos. When she meets Ben, it seems that Egerton’s character could have some redeeming characteristics.
That theory is quickly debunked once Ben pushes Sasha off a small boat. It’s easy to see that Ben is the very essence of pure evil and that Sasha must use her wits to survive for as long as possible until she can finally have a shot at overthrowing Ben and everything he stands for.
Apex spares its audience no suspense and scenes of frightening revelations regarding Ben’s vicious nature. He’s a terrifying character for Sasha to have to face/off against. With his shaved head, Egerton hasn’t typically played this evil of a character before.
This film is a nail-biting thriller, to be certain. Charlize Theron is the very essence of the action heroine she plays here, thanks to a finely tuned performance. Theron’s Sasha is forced to fight for her survival as she confronts the past, the present, and the hopeful future she must work towards achieving.
Underwater scenes are also constructed nicely on this great-looking production, which doesn’t seem to have spared the type of budget the film needs to be successful on streaming.
Apex is a battle, not only to the finish, but rather to something much greater than that, as Sasha waits for the moment where Ben disappears once and for all in order for Sasha’s freedom to be restored. Those mountain climbing scenes here feel authentic with a capital ‘A.’
In a less skillful director’s hands, Apex could have felt like a routine thriller. Egerton makes his character leap off the screen with the actor bringing a level of creepiness to the role that is enough to get under the viewer’s skin and stay there for the duration of the picture.
Apex has a few minor flaws in the way the movie’s last act plays out. Theron is not to be faulted, but the Cliffhanger inspiration seems to have demanded that the movie feature some scary mountain climbing to help develop the plot and help it reach a logical conclusion.
Perhaps this picture needed more time to properly develop Sasha as a character and help the audience connect with her in a more profound way.
Another flaw is the underuse of the great Eric Bana, who appears at the beginning and makes his stamp on the film’s storyline, only to never be seen again. True, there’s a reason for that, but still, the movie could have provided more flashbacks with Bana.
Theron’s performance nevertheless overcomes all obstacles to keep the viewer watching this tight 95-minute action film. There is one final shot of the movie that suggests Sasha may get to begin anew successfully. This film’s ending is fitting for the movie, and it’s a finely rendered one.
Apex is currently streaming on Netflix.
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Thomas Duffy
Thomas Duffy is a Critics Choice member who has written film reviews for most of his life, starting at age 11 when he crafted his first full length movie critique on the film, "Roxanne," a Cyrano story featuring Steve Martin. As a result of that review and other movie obsessive writing, Thomas was awarded a creative writing award in sixth grade. Thomas is the proud author of nine books, including two highly acclaimed novels, "To Never Know" and "Social Work." Thomas can be found on X (formerly known as Twitter) or at a New York City movie theater watching the latest hit or independent movie. You can also run into him at Tribeca or at the New York Film Festival.