by Jefferey Rahming, Contributing Writer
The call of nature speaks to some in a way that doesn’t to others. Activities like base jumping and free-range climbing prove that one person’s leisurely getaway is another’s death-defying adventure. Some people love to tempt fate when it comes to the great outdoors, but Mother Nature always wins in the end. Apex follows Charlize Theron as Sasha, a thrill seeker who’s tempted Mother Nature one too many times. She arrives at the Australian Wandarra National Park to put a traumatic climbing accident from earlier in the year behind her. After only a few moments of solitude for herself, adventuring in the Australian outback, she runs into a group of rough locals, only to be defended by Ben (Taron Egerton), an awkward but seemingly well-meaning Aussie. At first, seemingly a helpful aid on her trip, the vibes quickly sour when Egerton reveals himself to be in the woods for much more nefarious intentions than he originally let on.
Netflix has a bad habit of producing films that feel like they only exist to fill server space. And unfortunately, Apex falls squarely in that category. The performances are great, as expected from two actors, like Theron and Egerton. The visuals are gorgeous, with the breathtaking nature shots contrasting the brutal violence. It’s all technically good, but Apex is really let down by its middling story. This is typically the case with Netflix originals; they have great performances and good visuals, but the scripts often feel like they’re lacking polish.
There are some fun moments here and there, but this is one of those films that falls from your memory the moment it’s over. Nothing about it really grabs you. Sasha has a decent enough character arc, but it feels like it exists just to be there. Like, they came up with the premise and then slapped on a sappy emotional backstory because that’s just what you do. There are also far too many times you’re asked to suspend your disbelief as the characters careen off cliffs and dash their heads on the rocks then get up with barely a flesh wound. Meanwhile, in other scenes, a rock to the leg is enough to cause serious injury. Whether the characters are made of rubber or bone depends on what the scene demands, and that makes the whole movie hard to take seriously after a while.
Theron almost single-handedly brings this film to life in a way that it really needs. She elevates this just above cheap TV movie level. Egerton is fantastic as well, even if his performance is all over the place. I would categorize it as a mix between Gollum, Caesar from Planet of the Apes, and The Beast from Split. Both are good in this movie, but they just lack chemistry as a villain-hero duo. At times, they’re against each other; at others, they’re in precarious positions where they need the other to get out of a tough situation, but there doesn’t ever feel like there’s any reason why these characters need to be in conflict other than Ben’s evil and crazy. He might as well be a sentient bear. There could be some thematic thing here, such as human evil being as dangerous as nature, but it’s not trying to be that deep. Which stinks since Egerton’s performance is so interesting, you want there to be something more to him. By the end, Ben could be an earthquake, a pack of wolves, or a wildfire, but he’s barely a person. He’s less a character than an obstacle for our protagonist to overcome, and that makes for a pretty boring cat-and-mouse game.
Apex has its fun moments and looks visually great, but overall, it’s just hollow. The curse of well-made but mediocre Netflix originals strikes again. Pretty cinematography and great actors can’t save a script that was never going to be enough to stand out. An ok-enough watch, that’s bound to be forgotten.
Rating: Just Okay
Apex is currently streaming on Netflix
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