Although Netflix may have failed with the release of “Thrash,” starring the “Bridgerton” alumnus. Phoebe Dynevorthey might have struck gold with “Apex,” the streamer’s latest thriller with Charlize Theron And Taron Egerton.
The film begins with Theron’s character, Sasha, and her husband, Tommy, played by Eric Bana. The two are climbers who scale Norwegian cliffs together in bad weather. Eric Bana fans should take note: he doesn’t stick around long and he literally leaves Sasha hanging.
Taron Egerton and Charlize Theron, the stars of Netflix’s ‘Apex,’ in a cat-and-mouse chase
Five months later, Sasha crosses Australia alone. She’s come to spread Tommy’s ashes in his homeland, but it’s clear that things aren’t going to go as planned. She meets Ben, played by Egerton, while stopping at a gas station to buy a map that will allow her to cross to the remote location she is looking for.
Although Ben is helpful and knows the area well, alarm bells for horror movie fans are already ringing. That’s why it’s not much of a surprise when she hikes through a remote area, only to run into Ben. It’s not really a surprise that he knows where to find her, given that he’s the one who gave her instructions, but it’s a little disorienting to see how quickly he turns into a murderous psychopath, ordering her to run so he can hunt her down.
Although Sasha seems to escape him, Ben seems to find her with an almost Michael Myers-like impossibility. Eventually, he traps her in his cave, where the bodies of his previous victims are located. Sasha knows what fate awaits her, but can she escape?
Taron Egerton plays a convincing psychopath in ‘Apex’
I won’t give any spoilers here, but I will say that it’s a pretty predictable movie. That’s not to say it’s a bad movie. The chase scenes are solid and the film never seems to drag on. Clocked in at just over 90 minutes, it’s not bloated and the fast pace keeps the film flying by.
Although Ederton’s acting can be a bit cartoonish at times, he fully embraces his inner psychopath and provides a perfect counter to Theron, who plays him straight. There are times when her survival skills in “Mad Max: Fury Road” seem to come into play, as Theron revealed that she did her own stunts.
“Our team made a really impressive film, and yours truly did some stunts and action – without harnesses, sometimes,” Theron said during the Netflix 2025 upfront presentation on Wednesday, May 14. “Don’t tell Netflix.”
“It’s actually a miracle that I’m here today,” she continued. “‘Apex’ only ended a week ago, so I just got off the mountain. I still have Aussie dirt under that pretty manicure, and my pretty boot is hiding a broken toe, and I can go on and on, but I won’t.”
Charlize Theron performed her own stunts
Back in February, director Baltasar Kormákur praised the film’s stars while speaking to Netflix’s Tudum. “Working on the beautiful, rugged terrain of Australia with three of the world’s most talented and dedicated actors, Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton and Eric Bana, is such a joy – even as I put them to the test in this unique survivor story,” he said at the time.
The real star of the film is undoubtedly the Australian cinematography, which makes it much more enjoyable to watch. Fans of Charlize Theron, however, will be delighted to see her continue to perform her own stunts at 49 years old.
In 2017, Sam Hargrave, the stunt coordinator for “Atomic Blonde,” told PEOPLE magazine that Theron trained extensively in martial arts to perform her own stunts for the film.
“The whole stunt team was very pleasantly surprised by his overall physical abilities,” he said. “She was extremely tough; she won 95 percent of all her fights.”
“Apex” is now streaming on Netflix
During her appearance at Netflix’s 2025 upfront presentation, Theron said filming “Apex” was even more difficult than filming “The Old Guard 2,” calling it “one of the most incredible experiences of my life.”
“I actually never thought I could top the action I did in ‘Old Guard 2,’ which is coming out in a few weeks,” she said. “Coming back to me, almost dying, I’m really proud to share a bit of this massive film that I got to work on, and I have to say I was very lucky to work alongside the very talented Taron Egerton.”
