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Apex, Charlize Theron’s Survival Thriller, Hits No. 1 on Netflix

Practical stunt work with marquee casting drives strong streaming demand.

Overview

  • The Netflix film, which debuted Friday, has taken the platform’s top spot after a fast start.
  • Set in the Australian wilderness, the tense two-hander follows Theron’s climber as Taron Egerton’s character turns a chance encounter into a deadly pursuit.
  • Director Baltasar Kormákur said the leads did much of the action on real cliffs and rivers in Australia’s Blue Mountains, and Theron later had elbow surgery and treatment for a fractured toe.
  • Early reviews single out Egerton’s chilling performance and Theron’s physical presence, with praise for the cinematography and notes that the script can feel thin or rushed.
  • Theron scaled a rock-wall billboard in Times Square on Friday to promote the release, and Netflix confirmed she made the climb herself.