‘Apex’ review: Charlize Theron’s Netflix thriller avoids rock bottom, but barely

Apex, a new survival thriller by director Baltasar Kormákur, makes his debut on Netflix Friday. The movie stars Charlize Theron as Sasha, a grieving woman who, after a rather predictable accident on a mountain, travels to Australia to find closure. Once there, she finds herself embroiled in a grueling game of cat and mouse as she is chased by a ruthless local named Ben (played by Taron Egerton).

There’s a lot the film could have explored over its roughly 90-minute runtime, particularly around loss and letting go. Alas, it’s all surface, no depth. It’s disappointing – but at least this surface looks cool.

Let’s go back for a minute and discuss the opening moments of the film. We are quickly introduced to Sasha, who wakes up in a tent attached to the side of a mountain. It’s a normal life for her and her husband, Tommy (played by Eric Bana), and it’s understood that the couple do a lot of rock climbing. But Sasha comes to a side of rock that she just can’t get over and, frustrated, they stay on the mountainside a little too long.

Meanwhile, a snowstorm is approaching.

Maybe I watch too much disaster moviesbut the story proceeded predictably from there. Due to a landslide and bad weather conditions, Tommy loses consciousness (or is killed immediately) and Sasha must either let go of his rope or die with him.

And that’s it for Eric Bana.

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This opening sequence took place in just a few minutes, which I felt was nowhere near enough time to establish the emotional connection between the two characters that would later inspire her to take a journey alone into the wild Australian outback. But we all deal with grief differently, I suppose.

Needless to say, once there, Sasha finds herself in a situation she wasn’t prepared for. Red flags abound in the form of the wall cluttered with missing persons posters in the local police station and a group of questionable men she soon encounters on her trip to go camping in unfamiliar terrain.

And that’s where Egerton’s seemingly harmless Ben comes into the picture. Soon, Apex turns into a horror movie of sorts, and Ben (with his trusty crossbow) chases the American deeper into the woods, because that’s what he does to pass the time.

That’s all you really need to know about the story. I’m leaving out some major spoilers so you can find out where the movie goes from here.

It brings me no joy to write a negative review. First of all, I am fully aware of the challenge of making a film. Not to mention that Apex was filmed entirely on location; Theron and Egerton really raced through the Australian woods and battled on all kinds of terrain, from the side of a mountain to whitewater rapids.

Theron performed many of her own stunts and trained to believably portray a climber, and she definitely delivered on that front. This emphasis on on-field realism results in a host of breathtaking visuals that demand to be seen on the big screen. But unfortunately, Apex is a streaming version.

Still, this is all commendable, considering how many Netflix titles are produced entirely on a soundstage in front of a blue screen, with digital effects added later to build the story world. But I can’t help but think that the emphasis here on tactile details has come at the expense of the emotional depth a story like this needs.

Apex leans heavily on the acting talents of its leads, and Theron and Egerton deliver the goods, without a doubt. Without their opposing forces, I don’t think Apex would be worth it. This may be Theron’s film, but Egerton steals the show. More on him in a second.

When you take a look at Theron’s IMDb page, it’s clear that her acting career has been filled with varied roles. She can hold her own in an indie comedy, an arthouse drama, a Marvel blockbuster, and even Arrested Development. She brings a haunted tranquility to Sasha, which informs the character’s power without spoon-feeding the audience.

All she has to do is stand and look at Egerton and his silence speaks volumes. Without much dialogue, she easily enters the worthy entry point for the viewer to connect with.

Egerton, meanwhile, launches into Ben’s atrocities. He’s a Hannibal Lecter of the woods, with his own unique jerky recipe. It’s worth mentioning that Egerton is British and has a semi-believable Australian accent, which is no small feat. There are a bunch of other terrifying quirks that make Ben scary, sometimes on the same level as Norman Bates. You can tell Egerton is having a lot of fun playing this character. I had a blast watching it.

However, performance can only go so far. Outside of Theron and Egerton’s chemistry, striking visuals, and solid camerawork, Apex is pretty hollow. It’s sad to write, given the idea that it’s a story of loss, heartbreak, and survival.

I’m not going to say that Apex isn’t worth your time. If you want some empty calorie terror to get you through the weekend, you can find it here. Don’t expect much more than that.