The Reel Review
A grieving, recently-widowed mountain climber/adventurer embarks on a solo river kayaking trip in Australia, only to discover that she is being hunted by a maniacal serial killer. Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton and Eric Bana star in this action/adventure survival thriller.
Imagine a mashup of the 1993 Sylvester Stallone thriller Cliffhanger and the 1994 Meryl Streep thriller The River Wild, and you pretty much have the plot to this mindlessly entertaining survival saga. Theron, as usual, takes the physicality of her performance to the maximum, showing off some impressive mountain climbing, kayaking and fight skills, with Egerton going all-in as the muscled-up psychopath. The scene with those teeth and the source for the beef jerky – yikes!
Director Baltasar Kormakur, known for other survival thrillers Beast, Adrift and Everest, keeps the action moving and the visuals spectacular, despite a story that – no surprise – often veers past the bounds of believability. But at an hour and 35 minutes, it at least doesn’t overstay its welcome.
REEL FACTS
• Charlize Theron, who trained intensively for the film under the guidance of professional climber Beth Rodden, was able to do most of her own climbing choreography.
• in addition to the aforementioned movies, Baltasar Kormakur also produced and directed the 2021 supernatural series Katla.
• Apex was filmed in the Blue Mountains and at Ginninderra Falls in Australia, with Iceland doubling as Norway in the opening sequence.
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