Movie · 2026 · Action, Thriller · 1h 36m · R · English
Curator score: 1.1/10 (419.3K ratings)
Hunt. Survive.
Overview
A grieving woman pushing her limits on a solo adventure in the Australian wild is ensnared in a twisted game with a cunning killer who thinks she's prey.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.1/10
IMDb: 6.1/10
Letterboxd: 2.55/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Metacritic: 58
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Baltasar Kormákur
Production
Chernin Entertainment, Ian Bryce Productions, Secret Menu, RVK Studios
Cast
Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana, Caitlin Stasey, Bessie Holland, Zachary Garred, Matt Whelan, Rob Carlton, Aaron Pedersen, Duncan Fellows, Julia Ohannessian, Niam Hogan, Willow Seager
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
Apex sounds like a lean survival-thriller with a strong hook, star power, and a nasty cat-and-mouse setup, but the response suggests it plays more like a glossy, uneven streamer thriller than a fully satisfying suspense film. If you want a tense wilderness chase with a pulpy edge, it may work; if you need airtight plotting or deeper emotional payoff, temper expectations.
Best for
viewers who like survival-thrillers with a predator-versus-prey setup
fans of star-driven genre vehicles
people in the mood for a grim, high-concept chase movie
audiences who enjoy campy or memeable thriller energy
Skip if
you want tightly written, prestige-level suspense
you dislike thin character work in favor of concept
you prefer grounded realism over heightened genre theatrics
you are tired of streamer-style thrillers with uneven execution
Overview
Apex is built on a simple, effective premise: a grieving woman alone in the Australian wild, a killer who thinks he has the upper hand, and a landscape that can turn every mistake into a death sentence. That setup gives the film immediate tension, and the cast suggests it aims for a muscular, star-powered survival thriller rather than a quiet character study.
Worth noting
The reception points to a movie that is more entertaining in concept than in execution. The jokes around it suggest a heightened, sometimes absurd tone, with viewers responding to the spectacle, the body-count energy, and the sheer audacity of the setup more than to any deep emotional resonance. It sounds like the kind of thriller that can be fun if you’re in the right mood, even when it’s not especially elegant.
Bottom line
As a curator pick, it lands in the middle: watchable for genre fans, but not an automatic recommendation. If you like wilderness danger, cat-and-mouse tension, and movies that are willing to get a little ridiculous in pursuit of thrills, Apex should deliver enough to keep you engaged.
Top Letterboxd reviews
khynxx7 (2★) · 13219 likes
he's bald and he's torturing people who have hair
soph ♱ (2.5★) · 8639 likes
average trusting a man experience
RED (2.5★) · 6733 likes
James McAvoy was visibly unavailable for the film.
kristyward (3.5★) · 5900 likes
And she did all that in jeans
Justine (2.5★) · 4372 likes
Good news for the stay-at-home people who don't have hobbies