Movie overview: Apex | Kenbridge Victoria Dispatch

Movie overview: Apex

Published 2:41 pm Saturday, June 6, 2026

I like when there’s a enjoyable film I can advocate that you’ll be able to watch opening night time from the consolation of your individual sofa. 

Don’t get me mistaken, the movie show expertise is my favourite, however typically I like to return residence from an extended week of labor, order in, placed on pajamas, and see what’s streaming. 

“Apex” is the proper film for these vibes. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, who’s accountable for such survivalist movies as “Everest” and “Adrift,” “Apex” is a cat-and-mouse thriller that’s positive to depart you on the sting of your seat. 

Reminiscent of flicks like “The River Wild,” this movie is unquestionably not breaking the mildew and does battle a bit with predictability, however I nonetheless had numerous enjoyable with it and cherished watching Charlize Theron in one in every of her most bodily roles up to now.

Sasha (Theron) is haunted by grief and guilt following the tragic loss of life of her boyfriend (Eric Bana), the one who inspired her to undertake excessive out of doors actions, like scaling large mountains and sleeping in a single day alongside the aspect of them. To come to phrases together with her loss, she travels again to his residence nation of Australia to undertake a tough kayaking journey. Sasha is up to now within the Australian bush, her GPS can’t get a sign so she stops at a gasoline station to get assist discovering her drop-in level.

The space is riddled with lacking individual fliers, exhibiting simply how harmful these situations will be. Leave it to seemingly pleasant native Ben (Taron Egerton) to level Sasha in the best path, exhibiting her a brief reduce (pink flag) she will be able to undertake to get to the spot extra shortly. But when Sasha arrives on the drop-in level and will get settled, issues begin to go very mistaken, beginning together with her pack going mysteriously lacking… and Ben coming again into the image. You know that query about whether or not you would favor to come across a person or bear within the woods? This movie reveals the reply ought to all the time be the bear.

Let’s be actual, the story of a girl working from a psychopath making an attempt to kill her is a fairly well-trodden film concept. And the “Apex” script does battle a bit to distinguish itself from the entire films that got here earlier than it. There aren’t any twists — it’s just about precisely what you count on it to be. And due to that, it’s the performing that actually is the distinguisher. With it’s centered primarily round two characters, the movie is simply pretty much as good because the performances and each Egerton and Theron commit to creating this work. It jogs my memory numerous the aforementioned movie “The River Wild,” which had related high-caliber performances from Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon, battling it out within the wilderness.

It’s all the time straightforward to root for Theron, particularly when she is the outdoorsy, fierce lead of the movie… a girl who can independently scale a cliff, white water kayak, and hike by the harmful Australian backwoods. 

Egerton, however, holds nothing again as an unhinged lunatic, who takes pleasure in terrorizing his victims, regardless of who they’re. It’s a sadistic, gleeful sport for him. This back-and-forth between Egerton’s derangement and Theron’s measured survivalism makes for a really attention-grabbing mixture, and much more enjoyable when Theron is ready to get her bearings and battle again.

“Apex” is aware of to cease whereas it’s forward, with a compact runtime of somewhat greater than 90 minutes that makes it by no means really feel prefer it has overstayed its welcome. I do want the filmmakers had gone somewhat lighter on among the CGI components, which take away from the movie’s stunning Australian surroundings. 

But general, it’s a pulse-pounding, entertaining thriller that gives you one thing enjoyable to look at this weekend. 

With a movie known as “Apex,” it’s clear that it’s making an attempt to discover who’s going to be the apex predator, a serial killer in search of his subsequent hunt, or Charlize Theron. I do know the place I’m inserting my bets.

My overview: B-