Apex

Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, Apex follows Charlize Theron’s Sasha as she’s stalked and terrorized by a maniac (Taron Egerton’s Ben) during an Australian camping trip. It’s familiar yet promising subject that’s employed to watchable (albeit immediately forgettable) effect by Kormákur, as the filmmaker, armed with a script by Jeremy Robbins, delivers a slick thriller that never quite becomes as gripping as one might’ve anticipated (and hoped) – with the proliferation of special-effects-enhanced set-pieces generally draining the proceedings of its potential suspense or tension (ie high-octane moments, including a deadly mountain-climbing excursion and a perilous white-water rafting episode, feel distressingly artificial). There’s little doubt, then, that Apex benefits substantially from the top-notch efforts of its two stars, as Theron and Egerton offer up compelling work that goes a long way towards smoothing over the narrative’s bumps and lulls – with this particularly true of Egerton’s go-for-broke and often electrifying turn as the psychotic antagonist. (The picture’s best scene, in fact, involves the slow realization that Ben is perhaps not quite as affable and friendly as he seems.) By the time the satisfying (yet somewhat padded-out) third act rolls around, Apex has confirmed its place as a decent endeavor that admittedly does feel like it could (and should) be so much better.

**1/2 out of ****