‘Apex’ review: This is why women choose bears

Would you rather be stuck in the woods with a man or a bear? Asked to women on TikTok in 2024, this seemingly simple hypothetical question has ignited a fire on social media. Video after video showed women picking on the bear, speaking out against the culture of rape and speculating how a man alone in the forest can do nothing, while a bear in the forest is less suspicious. Some are offended by the idea that a random man might seem more threatening to a woman than a wild animal. And now, a new Netflix movie Apex it seems that it will restart the debate.

To be clear, there is no bear involved Apex. (Sorry for the spoiler?) Charlize Theron stars as Sasha, a physically strong and resilient rock climber who takes what she’s looking for to the Australian wilderness, where she sets out to whitewater kayak solo. However, her plan to be alone is disrupted when she crosses paths with Ben (Taron Egerton), who seems friendly at first, but soon turns out to be the most dangerous threat in this treacherous place.

Competing with an iconic action heroine against a madman screaming animal in a brutal wilderness, Apex it is a terrible journey, fueled by violence, actions, violence, and the worst fears of many women.

Apex will introduce the first scene.

Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, Apex it begins with a peaceful scene. Sasha and her partner Tommy (a rugged Eric Bana) are awake in a tent, the sound of the wind blowing loudly outside. This rush of air is an indication of their location. And while they were both in awe of it, the reveal that they were pinned to the side of a large cliff literally made me gag. I have no fear of heights. But as cinematographer Lawrence Sher followed Theron’s head out of the tent door to peek out, I was thrown a small drop under their flimsy tent.

The opening act follows the strolling couple as they trudge up the cliff, chatting along the way. But when disaster strikes, Apex to marvel not at their wonderful or natural wonders, but at their brutal and torturous violence. Sasha’s next adventure will be attended by this. Furthermore, we, the audience, understand how tough Kormákur will be when it comes to on-screen violence and its life-or-death implications.

Sure enough, when Sasha first meets Ben, he’s chipper, helpful too. He puts himself between himself and the dirty bogans, and gives him directions to the main campsite. But like Kevin Bacon in The River Wild, there’s a twinkle in his eye that shows Ben can’t be trusted when it comes to this short haired woman. Sure enough, he wanders from assistant to hunter, telling Sasha that he better run, because he has an arrow and he can see her.

To paraphrase the Doofenshmirtz meme: If I had a nickel for every time an Academy Award-winning leading lady played a raft, fighting for her survival against a crazed killer, played by a handsome leading man, I’d have two nickels. Not much, but strangely enough it happened twice.

Apex full of eyes, an act that touches the stomach.

Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton in “Apex.”
Credit: Kane Skennar / Netflix

So much so that I lament that you will not see it in the theater as the critics do. Streaming on Netflix, the endless woods and water, cliffs and caves that Sasha climbs through in this twisted cat-and-mouse game are just as amazing on a movie theater screen. The woods around him presented their own obstacles, but Sasha was prepared for that. Now, chased by this demented hunter, the desert wilderness is a cage he cannot escape easily.

Sasha will run through forests, fall down ravines, wade through raging rivers, climb cliffs, and enter unknown caves as she is chased by this villain. Love Wild Riverthere is a bit of psychological abuse between the personable villain and his heroine. But Theron’s character takes a pretty brutal beating at the hands of man and nature — even though she’s never borne one.

Star of Atomic Blonde again The Old Guard he rushes into action with a snarl, yet cool under pressure. And this makes what he is going through even more terrifying. This is not a young babysitter set up by a surgeon. This is not a mother in hiding, forced to protect her family from a roving bank robber. Sasha is portrayed as strong and unafraid to step out of the gate. And yet, she was caught off guard by a “nice guy” with a hidden agenda of despicable cruelty. That Egerton is younger than Theron, that Ben is angry and genuinely friendly makes this switch even more difficult. Because while not all women will see themselves in a character like Sasha, who can climb a 100-foot cliff for fun (certainly not me!), many will see themselves in a woman who realizes too late that she mistakes an attacker for a nice guy.

Taron Egerton presents a career-defining work on Apex.

Taron Egerton in “Apex.”
Credit: Kane Skennar / Netflix

This English actor has built an unexpected and very interesting career. Coming out of the Kingsman film series, Egerton quickly established himself as a leading man with swagger and comedic chops. Then in 2019, he threw himself into the challenging role of warts-and-all Elton John in a musical biopic. Rocketman. There, he not only needed to recapture the magic of one of the greatest rock stars to go on the stage, but also find the quiet moments of depression and isolation that drove John’s addiction.

With Sing to each otherhe brought verve to the pop-loving gorilla. Then enter Tetris, he played an ambitious American businessman steeped in Cold War paranoia and espionage. Most recently, on Netflix Go ahead, he played everyone who was challenged to be an action hero. But with Apex, you’re going through a lot of bad luck.

Like Ben, he manages Ed Norton-level shifts in the Primary Fear. You know that one. Amazingly, Egerton is completely believable as a happy-go-lucky stranger, happy to help a lost tourist. But when his eyes turn cold, revealing Ben’s hunting plans, there is a flicker in the darkness that is truly moving. Not only that Ben will stalk Sasha like a forest deer. He will enjoy every moment of torture – be it physical or mental – that he can put her through.

Egerton throws himself into the action with the same energy he did Rocketman’s musical numbers. He chews on the threats in Jeremy Robbins’ screenplay like they’re jerky that Ben sells at the local grocery store. And he will howl and cry like a wild thing, not afraid to show Sasha where he is, because he has reached his place, where he feels invincible. Even the cheeky breaks, like when Ben skinny-dips – and Kormákur offers a peek at the bottom of a very skinny Egerton – are infused with dread. Ben treats this like a vacation, taunting her naked and free, while Sasha wants to escape.

Apex it’s a relentless, thrilling, and heartbreaking thriller, with Theron and Egerton bringing out the best in a brutal confrontation. It will be a fun watch at home, captivating the audience with its heart-pounding twists. But I feel sorry for those who won’t be able to see the vistas and violence that Kormákur has captured on the big screen, where their wonders and horrors can truly destroy you.

Apex will premiere on Netflix on April 24.