Apex is an interesting title for this movie, because if we’re talking about the food chain of cinema, this thing is definitely not sitting at the top. It’s more like a dingo running around acting tough. Dangerous enough, sure. But an actual apex predator? Not quite.

Still, I didn’t hate this thing. There’s actually a decent survival thriller buried in here somewhere, especially once the movie stops trying so hard to foreshadow itself. That’s really the biggest issue with Apex. The opening scenes with Charlize Theron and Eric Bana practically tell you exactly where the movie is eventually heading once Theron and Taron Egerton’s characters fully collide. Instead of those parallels feeling clever later on, the film kind of trips over its own setup. It keeps signaling future developments way too early, and after a while, it starts feeling less like tension and more like the screenplay repeatedly whispering “pay attention, this matters.”

And honestly, that’s frustrating because there are pieces of this that work. The chase sequence in particular is easily the best section of the film. That’s where Apex finally calms down and lets itself become the stripped down survival thriller it probably should have been from the start. The atmosphere gets nastier, the pacing sharpens up, and the Australian wilderness finally starts feeling threatening instead of just existing as scenery.

The movie weirdly reminded me at times of The Royal Hotel, where the underlying horror basically comes from “Australian Men: The Movie.” Apex has a little of that energy too. Every guy wandering into frame feels sweaty, unsettling, unpredictable, or some combination of all three. The audio description actually helped a lot there too, especially in distinguishing some of the side characters and emphasizing little acting choices from Egerton.

And speaking of Egerton, the guy is clearly having a blast here. After really loving how completely unhinged he got in She Rides Shotgun last year, it’s fun seeing him lean into another chaotic performance. This role honestly feels like it exists somewhere between that film and what Jai Courtney was doing in Dangerous Animals. There’s that same “this man could either laugh or stab somebody at any second” energy happening throughout the performance, and it gives the movie some unpredictability it desperately needs.

Charlize Theron is good too, although I’ll admit there were moments where I wanted a little more from her emotionally. Maybe that’s unfair considering how ridiculously high the bar is for her in action roles now. Fury Road still stands as one of the best modern action performances for me, and there’s a reason she earned an Oscar nomination for that role. Furiosa felt exhausted, furious, traumatized, determined, all at once, often without needing dialogue to explain any of it. Theron carried so much of that movie physically through expression and presence alone.

So watching Apex, there were scenes where I kept waiting for that same intensity to fully kick in, especially during some of the more dangerous situations. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it feels a little restrained in a way that kept me at arm’s length.

Still, I can’t say I disliked the movie. It’s watchable. Egerton is entertainingly insane. The chase material works. The audio description is solid. But, daring to name this Apex, as a Netflix Original, is a bit like saying you’re the most eligible bachelor simply because you are single. Simply existing is not enough, you must do more to actually reach the Apex, otherwise everyone would be able to do it.

Fresh: 6.6/10