Netflix’s latest heart-pounding thriller featuring Taron Egerton and Charlize Theron is essential viewing for cinema enthusiasts this weekend.
Helmed by Baltasar Kormákur (Beast, Everest), this electrifying cat-and-mouse chase sets the two Hollywood heavyweights against one another in the Australian outback.
Apex follows Theron as adventurous rock climber Sasha, whose demanding journey across the Outback is derailed by a meeting with deranged hunter Ben (portrayed by Taron Egerton).
What ensues is a riveting, 90-minute adrenaline rush through treacherous ascents, lethal rapids, and merciless landscape, all while being hunted by one of Netflix‘s most ruthless antagonists in recent times, reports the Mirror.
Several critics have labelled Apex “spectacular”, including the Wall Street Journal who commended Theron “giving the most athletically demanding performance of her action-movie career”.
Charlize Theron plays adventurous rock climber Sasha (Image: NETFLIX)
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Variety also lauded the “short, taut, [and] spectacularly shot thriller” and argued it deserved a theatrical release.
“It’s clear that this film’s natural habitat is the cinema,” they continued. “A full Friday-night multiplex house, preferably, where viewers can shriek in unison with each obvious but effective jolt.
“This is, at heart, a proudly pleasurable B-movie lavished with the benefits of A-movie craftsmanship.”
Empire also heaped praise on the film, awarding Apex four stars and branding it “a really handsomely made bit of schlock”.
Taron Egerton as unhinged hunter Ben (Image: NETFLIX)
Drawing attention to Egerton’s remarkable performance, they noted: “Egerton is a canny bit of casting in a rare villain role, the Welsh actor morphing his natural charisma and sinewy frame – so winning in the likes of Kingsman or Rocketman – into something sinister and terrifying.”
Meanwhile, Theron is “completely commanding” as Sasha, with the review drawing comparisons between her latest leading role and her outstanding turn in Mad Max: Fury Road.
Their concluding verdict states: “Just a solidly made cat-and-mouse thriller, with muscularly committed performances from its two leads. It’ll make you want to explore the Great Outdoors and simultaneously never leave your house again.”
IGN were equally impressed, stating: “Theron crafts a relatable and grounded performance bolstered with emotional sensitivity and physical prowess, while Taron Egerton proves his worth as a weirdly menacing antagonist.”
Fancy taking on the great wilderness? Netflix’s breathtaking new thriller is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but those with the nerve for it simply cannot afford to give it a miss.
Apex is available to stream on Netflix.