Apex on Netflix: Charlize Theron’s New Thriller Has Stunning Scenery But a Shaky Script

Netflix dropped Apex today, and honestly? It’s a mixed bag — the kind of movie that hooks you in the first 30 minutes and then slowly loses its grip. If you’ve been wondering whether to hit play tonight, here’s everything you need to know.

What Is Apex About?

Apex follows Sasha (Charlize Theron), an elite extreme mountaineer shattered by the tragic loss of her partner Tommy (Eric Bana) during a storm. She travels to Australia’s Grand Isle Narrows — a hauntingly beautiful river canyon — to grieve and climb. There, she crosses paths with Ben (Taron Egerton), a seemingly helpful local. But Ben isn’t what he seems, and what starts as a wilderness trek turns into a deadly cat-and-mouse survival thriller.

Think Deliverance meets Cape Fear — with better cheekbones.

What Works

Theron is the film’s beating heart. She reportedly trained with legendary rock climber Beth Rodden and performed the vast majority of climbing sequences herself — including a jaw-dropping free solo finale. Her athleticism is genuinely impressive and worth the watch alone.

Director Kormákur, who previously handled humans-versus-nature tension brilliantly in Everest (2015), brings those same skills to the canyon landscapes. Cinematographer Lawrence Sher makes every frame look like a National Geographic cover.

The first act genuinely pulls you in.

Where It Falls Apart

Egerton’s villain is the film’s biggest problem. His Ben is written as a complex psychopath — childhood trauma, ritualistic tendencies, mommy issues — but performed with such cheerful, almost goofy energy that he never feels threatening. It’s hard to fear a man who grins like a dude at a barbecue.

Theron’s Sasha, meanwhile, lacks a clear emotional arc past the opening tragedy. The script leaves her character with no compelling internal struggle, making it tough to root for her beyond the obvious.

Curious how the survival thriller genre has evolved on streaming? Wikipedia has a solid breakdown.

For more on Charlize Theron’s action filmography and what makes her stand out in the genre, check out our piece on top Netflix action movies to watch in 2026 on TechnoSports.

Should You Watch Apex?

If you love survival thrillers and don’t mind gorgeous visuals carrying a thin script, it’s a breezy 90 minutes. If you need your villains menacing and your heroes emotionally coherent — maybe revisit Atomic Blonde instead.

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