Although Netflix might have hit a dud with the release of “Thrash,” starring “Bridgerton” alum Phoebe Dynevor, they might have struck gold with “Apex,” the streamer’s latest thriller starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton.
The movie starts off with Theron’s character, Sasha, and her husband, Tommy, played by Eric Bana. The two are rock climbers scaling the Norwegian cliffs together during inclement weather. Fans of Eric Bana should take note: he doesn’t stick around for long, and he literally leaves Sasha hanging.
Five months later, Sasha is driving through Australia by herself. She’s come to spread Tommy’s ashes in his homeland, but it’s pretty clear that things are not going to go as planned. She runs into Ben, played by Egerton, while stopping at a gas station to buy a map to get her through the remote spot she’s looking for.
Although Ben is helpful and familiar with the area, horror movie fans’ alarm bells are already ringing. That’s why it’s not too much of a surprise when she hikes through the remote area, only to run straight into Ben. It’s not too much of a surprise that he knew where to find her, considering he’s the one who gave her directions, but it is a little disorienting to see how quickly he shifts into a murderous psychopath, ordering her to run so he can hunt her down.
Although Sasha seems to give him the slip, Ben seems to track her down with an almost Michael Myers-like impossibility. Eventually, he does trap her in his cave, where the bodies of his previous victims can be found. Sasha knows what fate awaits her, but can she escape?
Taron Egerton Portrays A Convincing Psycho In ‘Apex’
I won’t give any spoilers here, but I will say it’s a pretty predictable movie. Now, that’s not to say that it’s a bad movie. The chase scenes are solid, and the movie never seems to drag. Set at just over 90 minutes, it’s not bloated, and the fast pace makes the movie fly by.
Although Ederton’s acting can be a little bit cartoonish at times, he fully embraces his inner psycho and provides a perfect counter to Theron, who plays it straight. There are times when her “Mad Max: Fury Road” survival skills seem to come into play, as Theron revealed that she did her own stunts.
“Our crew delivered a really impressive movie, and yours truly did some stunts and action — without a harness, sometimes,” Theron said at Netflix’s 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 wrapped like a week ago, so I’m fresh off the mountain. I still have some Australian dirt under this pretty manicure, and my cute boot is hiding a fractured toe, and I can go on and on and on, but I won’t.”
Charlize Theron Performed Her Own Stunts
Back in February, director Baltasar Kormákur gave high praise to the film’s stars while speaking to Netflix’s Tudum. “Working in the rugged, beautiful terrains of Australia with three of the world’s most talented, dedicated actors in Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana is such a joy — even as I put them through the gauntlet in this unique survivor story,” he said at the time.
The real star of the movie is easily the Australian cinematography, which makes it much more enjoyable to watch. For fans of Charlize Theron, though, they will be pleased to see her continue doing her own stunts at age 49.
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 movie.
“The entire stunt team was very pleasantly surprised at her overall physical ability,” he said. “She was extremely tough; she did 95 percent of all of her own fighting.”
‘Apex’ Is Now Streaming On Netflix
During her appearance at Netflix’s 2025 upfront presentation, Theron said that filming “Apex” was even harder than filming “The Old Guard 2,” calling it “one of the most incredible experiences of my life.”
“I actually never thought that I would be able to outdo the action that I did in ‘Old Guard 2,’ which is coming out in a couple of weeks,” she said. “Back to me almost dying, I’m really proud to share a little of this mammoth movie that I got to work on, and I have to say I was very lucky to work alongside the very talented Taron Egerton.”
