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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
If we’re being honest, Netflix doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to original productions. Sometimes, they create quirky hits that become pop culture touchstones (like Wednesday). Other times, they create crappy action pablum (like The Gray Man). Most of the time, though, they create the worst romantic comedies to ever haunt our televisions (wait, you have how many Kissing Booth movies?!). With that being said, I was nervous that Apexa Netflix original about a rugged widow being hunted through equally rugged parts of the Australian wilderness.
Still, I checked it out because Apex had several things in its favor. First, its hard R-rating promised that this cinematic showdown would be just as brutal and bloody as I could hope for. Second, much of the film was shot on location in the most stunning locations of Australia, meaning the movie would be a visual feast. Finally, the cast was fascinating: this is a film where Charlize Theron (best known for playing Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road) had to fight for her life against Taron Egerton (best known for playing 007-esque Egge in Kingsman: The Secret Service). To my astonishment, the movie lived up to my expectations, delivering an edge-of-your-seat thriller that will leave you gasping at every turn.
Between A Rock And A Hard Place
The premise of Apex is that a woman (Charlize Theron) who loses her husband (Eric Bana) in a freak mountain climbing accident is just trying to enjoy some whitewater rafting in Australia. Unfortunately, the first seeming good guy she runs into (Taron Egerton) turns out to be a lunatic who wants to kill and eat her. He’s an experienced predator, one who enjoys turning the hunt for prey into a sick, prolonged game. When he finally meets his match with a Player 2 as resourceful as he is, though, it’s anybody’s guess as to who will win, or if Game Over is coming for them both.
One of the greatest strengths of Apex is that it was shot in Australia, creating an aesthetic that genuinely pulls the film together. Much of the movie focuses on the main character’s love of extreme sports, and getting to see every rapid she navigates, and every cliff she climbs is a constant reminder that danger is all around her. That’s the perfect complement to the ferocity of Egerton’s character: soon enough, it’s clear that he’s not an animalistic man so much as a beast wearing a man’s body. He’s a predator at home in his natural, unforgiving habitat. Additionally, the movie is pure travel porn, with one jaw-dropping natural vista after another.
Terror That Just Keeps Climbing
Charlize Theron is, unsurprisingly, amazing in Apex. While the “man hunts woman” premise of the movie may make you think of exploitation films, Theron’s character is no victim. She’s smart, resourceful, and downright nasty when she needs to be. In this way, the movie’s vibes are more Revenge than, say, The Last House on the Left. It helps that she has so much natural chemistry with Egerton; more, arguably, than she had with Tom Hardy in Mad Max: Fury Road. Here, we have a tough, Furiosa-lite character whose burning rage is tempered by a tragic backstory and just the right amount of quirky humor.
However, the real revelation in this movie was Taron Egerton. Like many, I only really knew him as the lead character in Kingsman: The Secret Servicewhere he played a quippy, raunchy secret agent. Honestly, I didn’t think he had it in him to play a leading villain in any movie, especially one where he’s paired with a cinematic powerhouse like Charlize Theron. But he is absolutely riveting in Apexfinding new ways to shock the viewer at every turn. He absolutely oozes menace and raw, ravenous power in every scene. The movie takes its cues from his wild, unhinged energy, and Egerton transforms Apex into the most terrifying thriller of the year.
Of Monsters And Men
Incidentally, “unhinged energy” is the vibe of Apex in almost every single frame. Pitting two blockbuster action stars against each other is inspired, and Theron and Egerton add visceral brutality to their every fight. But instead of unfolding as a serious clash of the titans, the movie takes occasional detours for weird humor, including a couple of truly bizarre needle drops (you’ll never look at the Chemical Brothers the same way again!). Throw in a bonkers backstory for Theron and a screamworthy teeth reveal from Egerton, and you have a movie as endlessly weird as it is relentlessly paced.
Apex has a few flaws that keep it from reaching the cinematic summit. First, the fact that it focuses almost entirely on Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton is a double-edged sword. Personally, I thought they were fantasticelevating what could have been a fairly mundane survival thriller. But if you dislike the actors or their (often insane) performance choices, this movie will disappoint. Similarly, it’s filled with plenty of heartpounding chase scenes and bloody fight scenes that I found awesome. If they don’t work for you, though, Apex is going to feel like more of a slog than, well, actual mountain climbing.
So, is it worth taking your own streaming trip up this particular mountain? Apex is currently streaming on Netflix, meaning that you are just one click away from seeing who would win in a fight between Furiosa and James Bond, Jr. Is that an insane concept? Correct. Are Netflix originals mostly soulless trash? Also correct. Fortunately, this movie has amazing performances, luscious outdoor photography, and action scenes sure to leave you on the edge of your seat. Are you looking for gloriously greasy schlock to help soak up a few weekend beers? Good news, buddy: thanks to Apexthere ain’t no other mountain high enough!
