If mountaineering films and documentaries have taught those of us who haven’t conquered comparable heights anything, it is that climbing is both an art and a science. Not only do you need to have stamina, as well as muscles and lungs in top form, you also need to be a patient and instinctive problem solver, asking the right questions to elegantly dance with nature. Is this edge wide enough for my right foot? Is this crevice deep enough for my left hand? Have I accurately secured this piton to carry my weight?
In the brilliantly structured opening sequence of Baltasar Kormákur’s (“Everest”) old-school Netflix adventure flick “Apex,” all of these questions and then some are quietly considered by Sasha (Charlize Theron) and Tommy (Eric Bana), a couple as committed to one another as they are to mother nature and extreme sports in the wild. Our introduction to them says as much when they rise and shine in their tent and poke their heads out to greet the day, with the rest of us realizing with our dropped jaws that their tent is somehow affixed to the 90-degree side of a rocky mountain they’ve been climbing. In other words, there is nothing beneath the duo’s cozy dwellings other than an imposing freefall, the gravity-defying mechanics of which aren’t for us normies to grasp.
Written by Jeremy Robbins in a narrative debut that pulses with a deep love and respect for nature, and savvily steered by Kormákur in the Australian wilderness, “Apex” instantly promises a nail-biter of an experience on the big screen (except, it’s going straight to streaming) and delivers it in heaps in the cinematic tradition of adventure films that embrace the outdoors. Once tragedy that we halfway expect hits, the opening lands like 1993’s “Cliffhanger,” with the rest of the movie winking at everything from “The River Wild” (1994) to “Free Solo” (2018). And being a stunt aficionado herself who gives Tom Cruise a run for his money, Theron looks right at home doing it all, both while dangling from sharp-edged rocks and dropping through dangerous waterfalls.
Still, the whole affair is a lot more than Sasha had bargained for while she grieves, having left the mountains in the past a while ago. All she desires now is a solo journey through the river, to quietly test her own limits and become one with nature. Too bad that she isn’t greeted in a friendly manner by some slimy male hunters as she picks up the necessities from a local store. Equally alarming is the quick warning the park ranger drops: many kayakers, including families with young kids, got lost and never returned from this route. Espousing a slightly more positive vibe is Taron Egerton’s Ben, who recommends a quieter camping ground to Sasha, pitching it as the area’s best-kept secret.
Even though it makes sense for a character as strong as Sasha not to be intimidated, feel free to question why such a smart person would take the off-the-beaten-path suggestion of a perfect stranger, putting herself in a vulnerable position. And in that, it is not so much a spoiler to reveal that Ben has some sinister plans for Sasha, trapping her inside his cat-and-mouse game in the woods. Turns out, it’s a human and not the wild animals or elements that Sasha should be concerned about in the Australian backcountry. (In fact, the most dangerous non-human creature she encounters during the entire ordeal is a snake.)
Kormákur is masterly in utilizing his locations, seamlessly marrying every turn, cave, rapid, and waterfall with the narrative, realizing their full potential. Meanwhile, Egerton’s maniacal scream and frighteningly livid eyes, and Theron’s composed strength and endurance make a worthy pairing, with the balance slowly shifting between the two. At first, it’s Ben who traps and toys with Sasha. Later on, the tables turn in due course across a number of grippingly choreographed set pieces and well-earned twists. Buckle up for some broken bones and plenty of cuts and blood that eventually gets under one’s skin
Because “Apex” is only interested in surface-level backstory about the characters, the pursuit between the duo can feel repetitive on occasion. Then again, prioritizing white-knuckle thrills over excessive emotion and explaining is one of the most refreshing qualities of this gorgeously shot picture about survival and fortitude. Sometimes, you just want to sit back, relax, and root for Charlize to outsmart hostile elements and serial killers alike.
