By Sydney Blake
The movie “Apex” was a thrilling and exciting watch. I wasn’t expecting much from a Netflix original, but was impressed.
I was reluctant before watching the film as it sounded similar to other thriller movies where the protagonist is sent into the unknown and hunted, but Director Baltasar Kormákur created something new.
“Apex” follows adrenaline junkie Sasha, played by Charlize Theron, who goes to visit the wilderness of New South Wales in Australia to get over the death of her husband Tommy, played by Eric Bana. Bana’s character dies early on during a dangerous mountain climb in Norway.
When Sasha goes to Australia to escape her past, she embarks on a dangerous journey through the wilderness. Sasha runs into Ben, played by Taron Egerton, who is quickly revealed to be crazy, hunting her for the remainder of the film.
Theron was a level-headed actor as she adapted and survived harsh environmental conditions without safety gear. Within ten minutes of the film they show Sasha kayaking through crushing waves with huge rocks to then climbing underneath the top of a cliff to hide.
During this scene, Theron’s character felt a little too calm for being told she was going to be hunted. I felt the fear she was feeling, and I was satisfied with how she handled every situation and challenge.
This made Egerton’s character a good choice as a counterpart because he had the ability and knowledge of navigating the land, and had a more outgoing and dominant presence compared to Theron’s character. Egerton’s acting made for a realistic psychopath who genuinely freaked me out at times, such as when he prepared himself for the hunt and laughed as he battled back and forth with Sasha.
At one point I was grossed out when Ben showed Sasha how dedicated he was with his ritualistic hunting that he pulls out fake teeth to reveal his razor sharp real teeth, and makes her feel them.
There wasn’t much dialogue, which can leave some films feeling boring or empty, but I felt that the film was stronger in its silence.
While Sasha tries to survive, she keeps having to face Ben, which I saw as symbolic of her trying to escape her husband’s death. This filled the silent scenes with intense emotions and helped me connect to Sasha’s storyline and character. Although, I wish the movie had gone further into Ben’s past and why he performed rituals.
As a whole, the movie surprised me. I was captivated by the beautiful scenery, while the main character fought for her life. Egerton carried the film with his character’s interesting personality, although I felt that they should have done more with Theron’s character. Overall the film was enjoyable to watch and I’m ranking it a four out of five stars.
Via Wikimedia Images
