Netflix has found what’s sure to be the popular streamer’s next big action thriller hit…and it’s streaming now. Led by Academy Award winner and notable action star Charlize Theron, Apex hit Netflix on April 24 and has now debuted with a solid score on Rotten Tomatoes as reviews come pouring in.
Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, the filmmaker known for such Mark Wahlberg-led action outings as Contraband and 2 Guns, as well as the survival films Everest, Adrift, and Beast, the latter of which also found huge success on Netflix recently, Apex pits Mad Max: Fury Road and The Old Guard star Charlize Theron against Kingsman’s Taron Egerton in a warped and wild cat-and-mouse thriller. Following a grieving woman who decides to test her limits in the Australian wilderness, Apex kick-starts when she is suddenly ensnared in a deadly game with a ruthless predator.
Reviews for Apex have now started pouring in since the action thriller landed on Netflix, with many praising the grounded performances from its central stars and the intense momentum crafted by filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur. Debuting with a solid 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, Apex promises to be the next big action thriller hit for the streamer, and you can check out what critics thought of the wet-and-wild effort below.
Raving about the movie, Heaven of Horror awarded Apex a near-perfect 4/5, teasing something surprisingly unexpected in the action thriller.
“Not only is this a really intense and engaging storyline, but the characters also pull you in from the beginning. With Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton as the two main stars, I knew this would be something for me. I just never expected that…”
Similarly, IGN scored Apex 8/10 and praised Theron who “crafts a relatable and grounded performance bolstered with emotional sensitivity and physical prowess, while Taron Egerton proves his worth as a weirdly menacing antagonist,” while Mama’s Geeky declared Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton “incredible together” with the latter “clearly having the time of his life, showcasing just how unhinged he can play.”
The applause for the performance continues with Blu-ray.com concluding that the movie “remains its most potent when following the chase, tracking near-misses and torturous events, giving Theron a physical part to play while Edgerton gets a little nuts, enjoying a rare villainous turn.” Sadly, it’s not all raves, and while MovieWeb’s Mark Keizer likened it to some thriller classics such as Deliverance and Cliffhanger, and Theron to Linda Hamilton, he lamented that it takes “its emotional cues from a sympathy card.”
“Even though its locations are pretty and Charlize Theron is predictably strong, Apex spins a survival adventure tale we’ve seen too many times before.”
Echoing some of these sentiments, but taking a more positive stance overall, Collider also praised Theron for selling “the hell out of it,” ultimately deciding that the “physicality of Theron’s performance, along with the film’s vertigo-inducing cinematography, ultimately make Apex an adventure vacation from hell worth taking.” So, while it may not be an award-winner, expect to see Apex at the top of the Netflix charts quicker than Charlize Theron can scale a cliffside.
- Release Date
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April 24, 2026
- Director
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Baltasar Kormákur
- Writers
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Jeremy Robbins
