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Apex

Apex

Hunt. Survive.

202695 minRMidcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Director
Baltasar Kormákur
Starring
Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana, Caitlin Stasey

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.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Apex?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Apex streaming on Netflix.

Subscription

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Apex?

Apex earns 7 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Visual feast.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Apex worth watching?

Apex's Midcredits score is the 41st percentile of all films, from 514K ratings across 6 sources. 41% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

41st percentile

Better received than 41% of films

58th percentile among Action43rd percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)44th
Approval (how many liked it)39th

60 /100

44th percentile of all films

61st percentile among Action46th percentile among 2020s

Critics 58 · Audience 60

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.2 — solid but not unanimous.

41% liked it

39th percentile of all films

54th percentile among Action41st percentile among 2020s
41% rated it 7–1059% rated it 1–6

Critics 68% · Audience 46%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 2 noms overall

99th percentile

513K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 23% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree Apex is a visually stunning but highly formulaic survival thriller that offers a tense cat-and-mouse chase yet lacks narrative originality.

Fans praised

  • Charlize Theron's physical commitment and stunt work
  • Breathtaking Australian wilderness cinematography
  • Taron Egerton's unhinged, menacing villain performance

Detractors panned

  • Illogical plot holes and convenient, unrealistic character behavior
  • Thin, predictable script with zero surprise or narrative depth
  • Protagonist makes idiotic survival decisions that break immersion

What stands out

Cinematography85

Stunning Australian landscape and dynamic river/cliff shots

ActingDivisive75

Theron's physicality praised, Egerton's unhinged turn divisive but forceful

AtmosphereDivisive72

Immersive wilderness dread undercut by script silliness

PacingDivisive70

Fast 90-minute runtime praised, some call it repetitive mid-section

TensionDivisive60

Intermittently gripping, frequently undermined by logic issues

Characters30

Thinly written with minimal depth, backstory or arc

Plot and storyDivisive25

Riddled with logic gaps, contrived coincidences, repetitive chase

Originality20

Derivative of numerous earlier survival/hunt films

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 16 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 9 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Apex like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you wrung out and released. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Brutal · 7% of filmsBleak · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film is a serious survival thriller played straight, with brutal violence and bleak stakes.
The rideThe film maintains a high-tension chase atmosphere with bursts of brutal action, building toward a physically and climactically intense finale.
StructureConventional chronological narrative with a prologue in Norway followed by the main survival story in Australia.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Wrung out and released.

The answer rests on this: Cathartic · 6% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this waySasha's survival and escape provide catharsis, but the brutal hunt and loss leave an unsettling residue.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeSasha is hunted by a serial killer in the Australian wilderness, fitting the predator subtype of overcoming_the_monster.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalGrief · 6% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film follows Sasha as she is forced to fight for survival in the Australian wilderness while also confronting her unresolved grief over Tommy's death.
StanceThe film interrogates themes of survival and grief through Sasha's ordeal, focusing on her internal and external struggle against a predator.

The world

ContemporaryWildernessRealistic
Supportive music · original score
SettingWandarra National Park in Australia, including the dramatic Troll Wall in Norway at the start

Content guide

Is Apex okay for kids?

R

Apex is rated R: “Rated R for some strong violence, grisly images, nudity, and language” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (82/100), sexual content at moderate (50/100), language at intense (62/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (30/100) and frightening material at severe (85/100). Overall it is heavier than 69% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 40 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland15
  • New ZealandR16
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina+16
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • BGD
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary16
  • ID17+
  • IndiaA
  • Israel16
  • LTN-16
  • LU16
  • LV16+
  • MexicoC
  • MOC
  • MY18SG
  • Netherlands16
  • PhilippinesR-16
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • PRR
  • SingaporeM18
  • South Africa16
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan15+
  • Türkiye18+
  • UA16+
  • VIR
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 81% of all filmsHeavier than 69% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 69%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 53%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 41%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 17%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 86%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material, violence, and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Apex have?

MovieCove's classifier found 7 depicted content warnings in Apex: Torture (severe), Sexual harassment or grooming (moderate), Animal cruelty (mild), Animal death (mild), plus 3 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory (behind the spoiler gate). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereTorture
ModerateSexual harassment or grooming
MildAnimal crueltyAnimal death

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Apex?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Charlize Theron
as Sasha
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Taron Egerton
as Ben
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Eric Bana
as Tommy
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Caitlin Stasey
as Leah
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Bessie Holland
as Cashier
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Zac Garred
as Sean
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Matt Whelan
as Hunter
Rob Carlton
as 2nd Hunter
Aaron Pedersen
as Park Ranger
Duncan Fellows
as Dad
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Apex?

Movies like Apex include Rogue (2007), Wolf Creek 2 (2013) and Wolf Creek (2005). Of the 12 closest matches, most are survival thrillers, and most are hunter-and-hunted stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

9 of these 12 share its world: wilderness. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Apex?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: adventurer. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.