Trying to overcome her loss, a woman travels to Australia for the wilderness, but becomes the target of a psychopath who hunts her down.
Action-packed, but that’s it.
Ah, the good old hubris of believing humanity can tame nature. Challenge it. Conquer it. Dominate it. Prove our superiority rather than our respect for it. Then tragedy strikes, we mourn, we move on… and we do it all over again. That goldfish memory of ours extends far beyond nature. It reaches history itself. As the old saying goes, history teaches us that man is not taught by history. But I digress.
The irony is that while we often fear wild animals, towering mountains, raging rivers, or the unknown, the most dangerous creature in the known universe remains ourselves. We are responsible for the greatest atrocities ever recorded, and cinema has reminded us of that time and time again.
Now that my unapologetic rant is over, let’s talk about Apex. First and foremost, the soundtrack is superb. From Boogie Street to Nasty Boy, it elevates the action, reinforces the suspense, and gives the film an energy that carries it through some of its weaker narrative moments.
Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton are equally impressive. Theron, who reportedly trained extensively and performed most of her own stunts, fully commits to Sasha, while Egerton makes Ben a compelling adversary. Writer Jeremy Robbins gives both characters enough depth to make their conflict feel personal rather than purely physical, and director Baltasar Kormákur once again proves he knows how to stage action with clarity, momentum, and tension.
For much of its runtime, Apex succeeds. The setup is engaging (even though seen before time and time again), the character development is solid, and the action sequences are genuinely exciting. Then comes the turning point. Without spoiling anything, the film gradually abandons the grounded survival thriller it had carefully established and embraces a far more conventional Hollywood mentality. Logic exits through the back door, while narrative conveniences and standard gimmicks take its place. The destination is hardly surprising, and chances are you’ll see the final act coming from miles away.
Does that ruin the film? A little bit. It prevents it from becoming something memorable. There is little here that feels particularly original, yet it remains an entertaining survival thriller led by two committed performances and confident direction.
And when the credits roll, one thought inevitably stays. Sometimes, no matter how many films like this follow… You simply appreciate Cliffhanger‘s (1993) legacy a little more.
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Solidarity for all the innocent lives that suffer the atrocities of war!
Stay safe!
