by Henry Pham
This movie recalls the 1993 film, Cliffhanger, due to similarities in plot and the presence of a main character whose failure to save a loved one leaves them ridden with guilt and grief. That film received three Oscar nominations (including Best Visual Effects), losing all to Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. Apex is a survival action thriller that follows a female rock climber named Sasha in the wild, who finds herself hunted by male hunters as she tries to survive in the wilderness and mountains.
Academy Award winner Charlize Theron (Patty Jenkins’s Monster) stars as Sasha, while supporting actor Taron Egerton (Rocketman) plays Ben, the film’s main antagonist. Sasha, a rock climber, faces profound loss after her husband (Eric Bana, Hulk) dies in an avalanche. Theron delivers a compelling performance, conveying strength and determination. Egerton is highly effective as a rare villain in his career, with his character serving as a reminder of Sasha’s late husband. Theron also contributes as one of the film’s producers.
Baltasar Kormákur, known for directing survival films (including Beast and Everest), directs and produces his latest survival thriller and action movie on Netflix. The action and the survival sequences are wild, intense, and exhilarating, though it can be unsettling for younger viewers. The direction and writing are subpar, as Kormákur follows the same formula from his previous survival films. Not only that, but Lawrence Sher’s cinematography is incredible, while the visual effects are good, too.
However, the pacing and the 95-minute runtime lower the entertainment value. Perhaps turning this into a two-hour movie with more suspense and additional scenes could develop the plot. Survival films are not my thing, but they do help me quite a bit as a true film critic who watches almost every single film there is, both in theaters and on streaming. At the time, one of the biggest forms of entertainment was Netflix, which is now a mighty streaming service company.
Netflix’s Apex brings the high-octane thriller plot line, but it is a wave of disappointment. I enjoyed watching Netflix films as the Netflix branding may make this survival movie a big deal. Instead, it is surely a letdown. Despite being released on streaming services in lieu of in theaters, the action is coming in, but the entertainment quality is coming out. It’s a decent production to look at, but Charlize Theron makes this movie fun to digest. I know she is a brilliant actress, and seeing her in movies is more than enough for me. Sadly, she couldn’t save the mess in this film. Honestly, if this gets a theatrical release, then maybe I would give this film a second chance for a higher grade.
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