Netflix viewers rush to binge thriller that ‘will make you never want to leave your house again’

A survival thriller starring Charlize Theron as a woman trying to outrun a blood-thirsty hunter has soared to the top of the Netflix charts.

Released on the streaming service in the past few days, Apex follows a ‘ruthless game of cat and mouse set in the Australian wilderness’.

Hollywood actress Charlize stars as Sasha, a grieving mountain climber who sets off on a solo trip after the death of her husband Tommy – played by Eric Bana.

However soon after she encounters a man called Ben (played by Taron Egerton) who turns out to be a ‘ruthless and lethal predator’ – who warns her he wants to kill her but gives Sasha a head start to run for her life.

The movie has proved a massive hit with viewers already, currently being the most-watched film on Netflix in the UK. Critics have also largely praised the film.

‘The physicality of Charlize Theron’s performance, along with the film’s vertigo-inducing cinematography, ultimately make Apex an adventure vacation from hell worth taking,’ Collider wrote in its review.

‘Prioritising white-knuckle thrills over excessive emotion and explaining is one of the most refreshing qualities of this gorgeously shot picture about survival and fortitude,’ RogerEbert.com shared.

‘Apex is a relentless, exciting, and nerve-rattlingly scary thriller,’ Decider declared.

‘Charlize Theron may be giving the most athletically demanding performance of her action-movie career. Certain clichés and hiccups aside, however, Apex is spectacular,’ The Wall Street Journal added.

Viewers also called it ‘intense’ and a ‘damn good survival thriller’ that left them ‘on the edge of their seats’.

Speaking to Netflix’s Tudum about the film, Charlize said it ‘really fired up my brain’.

‘When I read the script, I couldn’t put it down and it stayed with me. It felt very pure but with great impact. The bite and the kick were so strong in what it was trying to accomplish without bells and whistles, and I loved that,’ she said.

She went on: ‘It’s about a woman who finds herself in the woods with a serial killer – and she has to win. This is an action‑adventure, psychological thriller. It’s really a story about survival, not just physically but emotionally, and about finding out what you’re made of.’

Meanwhile Taron – whose character is described as a ‘twisted psychopath with a taste for blood and a hunting skill to match’ said that the ‘extremity’ of the role appealed to him.

‘When I was offered the chance to play Ben, who is just about the most f***ed‑up character I’ve ever played, there was something delicious and irresistible about it,’ he said.

Apex is streaming on Netflix.

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