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Netflix thriller Apex draws early critical praise

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Key Points
  • Netflix thriller 'Apex' starring Taron Egerton and Charlize Theron is now streaming.
  • The film is directed by Baltasar Kormákur and set in the Australian outback.
  • Early reviews from major outlets are positive, with praise for performances and direction.

The film, directed by Baltasar Kormákur, is set in the Australian outback. Theron plays Sasha, an adventurous rock climber, while Egerton portrays Ben, a deranged hunter. The runtime is 90 minutes.

Critics have responded positively. The Wall Street Journal called the film 'spectacular' and commended Theron's performance, noting she is 'giving the most athletically demanding performance of her action-movie career'. Variety described it as a 'short, taut, spectacularly shot thriller' that deserved a theatrical release, adding that it is 'a proudly pleasurable B-movie lavished with the benefits of A-movie craftsmanship'. Empire awarded four stars, calling it 'a really handsomely made bit of schlock' and praising Egerton's 'canny bit of casting' as a villain. IGN stated that Theron 'crafts a relatable and grounded performance' while Egerton 'proves his worth as a weirdly menacing antagonist'.

giving the most athletically demanding performance of her action-movie career

Wall Street Journal, Critic

short, taut, [and] spectacularly shot thriller

Variety, Critic

It's clear that this film's natural habitat is the cinema. A full Friday-night multiplex house, preferably, where viewers can shriek in unison with each obvious but effective jolt. This is, at heart, a proudly pleasurable B-movie lavished with the benefits of A-movie craftsmanship.

Variety, Critic

a really handsomely made bit of schlock

Empire, Critic

Egerton is a canny bit of casting in a rare villain role, the Welsh actor morphing his natural charisma and sinewy frame - so winning in the likes of Kingsman or Rocketman - into something sinister and terrifying.

Empire, Critic

completely commanding

Empire, Critic

Just a solidly made cat-and-mouse thriller, with muscularly committed performances from its two leads. It'll make you want to explore the Great Outdoors and simultaneously never leave your house again.

Empire, Critic

Theron crafts a relatable and grounded performance bolstered with emotional sensitivity and physical prowess, while Taron Egerton proves his worth as a weirdly menacing antagonist.

IGN, Critic
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Netflix thriller Apex draws early critical praise | Reed News