Apex
Apex is streaming on Netflix at the time of review. Rated R. Common Sense says 16+
A mountain climber (Charlize Theron) haunted by a fatal decision in Norway retreats to the Australian wilderness for isolation. Her journey turns into a desperate hunt when a deceptive local (Taron Egerton) targets her as his next ritualistic prey in the bush.
STORY: C+
A harrowing but forgettable riff on The Most Dangerous Game.
The story combines a setting and scenario that will unnerve the audience. Several survival set pieces are frightening, if not always thrilling.
The story’s biggest flaw is that it’s much more interested in survival than in the folks trying to survive. Of course we root for Sasha, but we’d root a lot harder if we knew who we’re rooting for.
PEOPLE: C-
Theron is a human doing, not a human being.
Theron’s physical acting is incredible. She scurries up canyon walls. She slices through the rapids in her kayak. She hurls herself into rivers from incomprehensible heights.
But she can’t save the script from its own aloofness toward Sasha’s inner life. Even after tagging along for two terrifying chapters of her life, we know nearly nothing about her.
FILM NERD STUFF: B-
It’s a big, big world out there.
On one hand, the scores of sweeping drones and long establishing shots combine to make the wilderness feel ominous, mammoth, and deadly. Its power is unquestionable, and it looms so large that at times, Theron is confined to a single pixel or two of the screen.
An unfortunate by-product of shrinking her is that it neutralizes her ability to own the screen the way she did in Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s like a chess player intentionally sacrificing the queen.
ONE BIG LESSON: F
No real theme present … maybe: “The buddy system exists for a reason?”
The film has no real thematic resonance to speak of, which is a shame. Every element of this film would be ten times better if there had been.
FINAL COMMENTS:
One might imagine a film set in the majestic Australian outback would demand to be seen on the big screen. But in reality, Apex seems tailor-made for Netflix. Since there’s no inner story to track, you won’t miss anything if you check your phone, grab a snack, or run an errand.
My goal is to help you find the movie you’re looking for. So if you need something that doesn’t ask much of you, you could do a lot worse than Apex.
For me, its lack of substance prevents a full recommendation.