Apex

From Wake in Fright (1971) to Wolf Creek (2005) to The Royal Hotel (2023), the movies keep telling us that outsiders who travel to Australia looking for adventure or a vacation, well, they shouldn’t do that. Why? Because there’s probably a gang of ruffians looking to take you on a kangaroo hunt, rape you, or just generally slaughter you. That’s to say nothing of the dangerous terrain and wildlife, seen in Walkabout (1971) and Rogue (2007), all of which seems designed by Mother Nature to be deadly. Apex follows in this cinematic tradition. But as the title of this Netflix original suggests, the protagonist is better equipped to survive Aussie perils than most. Charlize Theron plays Sasha, an American thrillseeker who faces treacherous landscapes and shady characters in the Land Down Under. One might worry that she’s in trouble, except she’s Charlize Theron, star of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Atomic Blonde (2017). Chances are, anyone who tries to mess with her will find themselves in serious trouble.

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