Shadows on the Wall

Apex

dir Baltasar Kormakur
scr Jeremy Robbins
prd Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, David Ready, Ian Bryce, Charlize Theron
with Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana, Aaron Pedersen, Matt Whelan, Bessie Holland, Duncan Fellows, Julia Ohannessian, Niam Hogan, Willow Seager, Caitlin Stasey, Zac Garred
release US/UK 24.Apr.26
26/Australia Netflix 1h35

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Vertiginous big-screen camerawork sets the tone for this thriller, as director Baltasar Kormakur the most of mountains, chasms and rushing rivers. More importantly, Jeremy Robbins' script finds surprising resonance in layered characters, allowing the actors to pull us in deeper than expected. This is a pulse-quickening thriller that features a series of sequences that are expertly staged to throw us right into the middle of the perilous action.

After a tragic accident on a rock-climbing trip in Norway with her boyfriend Tommy (Bana), Sasha (Theron) heads solo into the Australian Outback to rebuild her self-confidence. She gets advice from local Ben (Egerton) before setting up camp on a river bank, But a group of boisterous hunters disrupt her respite. So she heads down the rapids in her kayak. After her bag is stolen, she finds Ben's camp, quickly learning that his friendliness is a mask for predatory violence as he begins hunting her with a crossbow. His traps and rituals are properly fiendish.

Sasha is smart and well-prepared, adept at fending for herself in dangerous situations, unfazed by towering cliff faces or turbulent white water. She keeps a level head even when Ben locks her in his sites. And the film makes it clear that the wilderness, which stretches as far as the eye can see in every direction, is both a serious menace and Sasha's only hope. Being captured by Ben might not be the worst thing to happen, as we can see her constantly plotting an escape. On the other hand, he is plainly planning something hideous.

With her remarkable physicality and innate intelligence, Theron makes Sasha formidable, coping with the intense demands of the situation as she tries to outfox Ben. Her tenacity and endurance, even in the most outrageous scenarios, feel almost unnervingly realistic. Egerton also gives a full-bodied performance that adds unusual textures to this sadistic nature boy. So even if it's never quite clear why he's doing this, there's a sense that he has his own reasons, however deranged they may be.

Where this story goes is ghastly, as Sasha is shown the gruesome depths of Ben's depravity. The way she maintains her cool even when he goes full-on psychopath is particularly impressive, probing for reasons behind his viciousness, because that will give her a better chance to survive than just fighting or running. And of course it's the adrenaline-charged thrills that make this film so relentlessly suspenseful. And so darkly entertaining.

themes, language, violence 26.Apr.26

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