“Apex” on Netflix is the reason you'll be afraid to go hiking The film stars Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton

It is often said that the most dangerous animal in the world is man. In the case of the new film Apex by Baltasar Kormákur, a Netflix original, this claim proves true. The protagonists are Sasha and Ben, played respectively by Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton, who embark on a ruthless hunt across the most hostile territories of Australia, surrounded by the beauty and dangers of a natural park. The reasons why the characters are there are very different from one another: the woman, a lover of extreme sports, seeks a moment of peace away from the noise of the city and the memory of a sudden loss, while the man waits silently among the forest branches for the chance to pursue his next prey.

It is a true game of slaughter that Ben sets up. Or rather, it is what he hopes for, with Sasha demonstrating the skills she has acquired over many years of daring adventures that have often led her into the most hostile situations. Yet it will not be venomous snakes or restless rapids that worry her, but rather a psychopath who has chosen to take refuge along a riverbank and carry out his twisted rituals there.

For Netflix, dedicating space to survivor movies is no coincidence. It is a genre that audiences enjoy, a form of escapism through which they can distract themselves, watching protagonists escape and confront the most desperate situations while viewers remain safe at home. Apex works exactly in this way, making use of an interesting premise and perhaps veering a bit too much into a spiral of schizophrenia that feels excessive, but can nonetheless strike for its unpredictability.

Ben is not the usual predator who initiates the chase between himself and Sasha, but rather a twisted and unstable being who seeks to merge into a single character Predator-style pursuits, the visions of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz from Apocalypse Now (there is even a shot that references Coppola’s film), and that unpleasant habit for which Dr. Hannibal Lecter was known. Egerton is convincing in the role of the psychopath, though it raises questions about a sadism that at times clashes with the screenplay written by Jeremy Robbins. This includes the actor’s performance, which sketches a man completely unhinged just as the story demands, yet jars with the surrounding atmosphere.

In any case, the hunter-prey relationship with co-star Theron is easily established, although after watching Apex one feels compelled to send out a plea for help: someone save the actress not from ravenous killers immersed in nature, but from herself. It has now been six years since the diva has landed a truly successful project, one that is interesting or stimulating, and that does not confine her merely to the speed of Fast & Furious or the (declining) action of The Old Guard saga.

There was an attempt in 2022 with the release of The School for Good and Evil by Paul Feig, also on Netflix, but it unfortunately proved to be an unsuccessful interlude for the fantasy genre work, which was panned by critics. The star’s career is marked by curious and not always successful choices, which at least for a long time provided a certain variety to her portfolio. Perhaps a turning point could come with her involvement in Christopher Nolan’s epic Odyssey, in which she is expected to play Calypso, with the hope that it will be a springboard for much more rather than just a brief excursion.

While we wait to see Charlize Theron in different roles, put on your best hiking shoes and sit comfortably on your couches: Apex is the hardcore version of Wild, where the actress takes the place of Reese Witherspoon, for a film that will make you reconsider your next camping trip or at least remind you to let someone know where you plan to go.