LOS ANGELES April 23 (UPI) -- Apex, on Netflix Friday, is a thrilling "most dangerous game" scenario. Its diversions into horror and trauma are less effective, but it comes back around for a rousing conclusion.
Sasha (Charlize Theron) loses her boyfriend (Eric Bana) climbing the Troll Wall mountain in Norway, but in her defense, he already looked quite dead before she dropped him. Five months later, she hikes and kayaks the Grand Isle Narrows in Australia.
She already has to ignore local hunters at the gas station, but Ben (Taron Egerton) follows her and steals her supplies. He gives Sasha a head start but wants to hunt her.
Most adaptations of or references to Richard Connell's story The Most Dangerous Game involve a team of hunters with a human target. Ben doesn't cite that the most dangerous game of all is man, but he craves the challenge Sasha represents.
The strongest part of the movie is when Sasha is on the run, dodging loud crossbow bolts, running and swimming away from Ben. Director Baltasar Kormákur and cinematographer Lawrence Sher keep the camera low to encompass the tall forests and cliffs enveloping Sasha.
