Cast: Charlize Theron, Aaron Egerton and Eric Bana Directed by: Baltsar Kormakur OTT: NETFLIX What holds Apex is direct...
Cast: Charlize Theron, Aaron Egerton and Eric Bana
Directed by: Baltsar Kormakur
OTT: NETFLIX
What holds Apex is director Baltasar Kormakur’s stories about people who
survive in extreme conditions (read 2015 Everest or The Deep from 2012). The
difference in Apex and his other films - the chase across land, river, forest
and cliff with a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse going on between the hunter
and the hunted. The film is slick and gripping making it an edge-of-the-seat
thriller.
Mountaineering couple Sasha (Theron) and Tommy (Bana) decide to scale
the Troll Wall and since a storm was brewing they decide to climb the next
morning. When they are about to reach the summit, an avalanche knocks Tommy off
and becomes unresponsive. Still attached to Sasha, she unhooks him and his body
drops. Few months later, Sasha travels to Australia’s Wandarra National Park
all alone. During a refill of supplies, a stranger warns her about
disappearances in that region. It is also during this time, she is harassed by
two hunters but is intervened by the stranger forcing the two hunters to leave.
The stranger Ben (Egerton) tells Sasha on how to reach Grand Isle Narrows
on being asked by the latter. He gives her two options- the hard and the easy
route. Sasha chooses the hard route which starts at Blackstone Bay. But it soon
becomes clear that Ben is not what he seems. There is a Norman Bates kind of
love he has for his mother and also he spends too much time out in the forest.
His occasional flash of smile is as creepy as his mental state. What follows is
a thrilling, dangerous game of cat-and-mouse between Sasha and Ben.
Charlize Theron puts in a commanding performance with a solid
performance both physically and emotionally. She cave-dives, kayaks, free-solo
up rock faces making it all seem real. In short she is terrific. Aaron Egerton
is at his sinister and terrifying best also doing a Hannibal Lector with human
liver. He is a delight to watch as he hunts down his prey (with a crossbow) in
an impish manner. He is brilliant. Eric Bana is okay in a cameo.
The cinematography is on an epic scale and the action seems real and
tremendous. Both these take the film to another level.
A solid thriller making you feel that you should stay in the
comfort of your home.
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