![\"APEX,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777162811_532_0x0.jpg\")
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Taron Egerton and Charlize Theron did most of their own stunts in Netflix’s ‘APEX.’ <\/p>\n
Photo by Kane Skennar\/Netflix<\/p>\n
In Netflix\u2019s APEX, Charlize Theron plays Sasha, an adventurer who comes face-to-face with psychopathic serial killer Ben (Taron Egerton) deep in the unforgiving Australian wilderness. <\/p>\n
Directed by Baltasar Korm\u00e1kur and written by Jeremy Robbins, the 95-minute psychological thriller delivers an intense, unrelenting ride as Sasha fights to survive both the brutal terrain and a relentless killer in the middle of nowhere. <\/p>\n
Ahead of the film\u2019s April 24 premiere, Korm\u00e1kur confirmed in an interview that both Theron and Egerton were determined to perform many of their own stunts despite the risks, something he admitted made him uneasy at times. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere’s so much that they did themselves, all the way to where I almost pulled back because I didn\u2019t want to put them in any physical danger,\u201d said Korm\u00e1kur. <\/p>\n
That concern isn\u2019t unfounded. In press interviews, Theron revealed she has undergone surgery after nearly every film. One injury in particular stands out: while filming \u00c6on Flux, she herniated a disc in her neck after landing on concrete. This accident nearly paralyzed her and forced a production shutdown.<\/p>\n
After APEX wrapped, Theron underwent elbow surgery, followed by a revision procedure, and also dealt with a fractured toe. <\/p>\n
Eric Bana in ‘APEX’ on Netflix.<\/p>\n
Photo by Kane Skennar\/Netflix<\/p>\n
APEX opens with Sasha and her boyfriend Tommy (Eric Bana) scaling Norway\u2019s Troll Wall, setting the tone for the physical demands to come. Months later, a grief-stricken Sasha travels to the fictional Wandarra National Park in Australia, filmed in Australia\u2019s Blue Mountains National Park. <\/p>\n
There, she learns that numerous people have gone missing. While the disappearances are initially blamed on the harsh environment, Sasha soon realizes something far more sinister is lurking in the wilderness. <\/p>\n
In an era where audiences often assume high-risk scenes rely heavily on green screens and AI, APEX stands apart. According to Korm\u00e1kur, Theron and Egerton were eager to perform much of the action themselves, often pushing the limits of safety. <\/p>\n
Some locations proved so challenging to access that, during scouting, Korm\u00e1kur said they actually had to swim to reach them. One example he pointed to was the Grand Canyon in the Blue Mountains region. <\/p>\n
Charlize Theron in ‘APEX’ on Netflix. <\/p>\n
Photo by Kane Skennar\/NETFLIX<\/p>\n
Theron\u2019s role demanded intense physicality, including whitewater kayaking and near-vertical rock climbing. Korm\u00e1kur said she was determined to take on as much of it as possible. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll of the challenging climbing, more or less, she\u2019s doing it. A lot of the water work she’s doing, too, especially swimming. She was thrown around a lot. With some of the kayak work, we did need some help there because that’s a very difficult thing to master.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of what makes APEX so unsettling is its plausibility, the idea that someone like Ben could exist in such isolation. Egerton\u2019s portrayal of the feral antagonist stands out, shaped through close collaboration with Korm\u00e1kur, who gave him leeway to go beyond what was on the page. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we met, it was all about, like, \u2018Okay, are you willing to portray your inner creep? Are you willing to show people behind the curtains? To show your insecurities?\u2019 We built the character from the inside out. I love the idea that he hadn’t shown those cards that much in previous performances. It was something new, and I think from there, it just all became about finding the character.\u201d<\/p>\n
Korm\u00e1kur emphasized a flexible, organic approach to the performance. \u201cI was like, let the truth come out as you\u2019re performing it, and find it there rather than deciding too much before we do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also referenced filmmaker Ingmar Bergman\u2019s philosophy: \u201cOnly someone who is well prepared has the opportunity to improvise.”<\/p>\n
Korm\u00e1kur embraced that mindset on set. \u201cI let it all go when I’m on set. You can come prepared, but you have to be ready to allow what is performed to come through on the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton in ‘APEX’ on Netflix.<\/p>\n
Photo by Kane Skennar\/Netflix<\/p>\n
At its core, APEX is as much about grief as it is about survival. Sasha is coping with the loss of Tommy, whose ashes she has come to scatter after a tragic climbing accident. Korm\u00e1kur sees her journey as deeply psychological. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, the whole movie is like a purgatory for her because she blames herself and is dealing with grief and guilt. It\u2019s a bad mix, and she\u2019s punishing herself,\u201d he explained. <\/p>\n
As Sasha is forced into a fight for survival and ultimately to stop Ben, her arc becomes one of reckoning and redemption. \u201cI thought it was very important to feel that in the end, that she actually comes through, and steps out of it, and manages to stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sasha\u2019s guilt stems from a devastating moment during their final climb. Tommy falls and is left hanging, pulling her down with him. Faced with an impossible choice, she cuts him loose to save herself, uncertain whether he was already dead or still alive. It\u2019s a haunting decision that shapes everything that follows. <\/p>\n
While Korm\u00e1kur supported the actors\u2019 commitment to realism, he even admitted that some scenes pushed his comfort zone. \u201cIf the actor wants to do it, I’m all for it. Of course, I want to have it safe. I don\u2019t want to put anyone\u2019s life in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charlize Theron did her own rock face climbs in ‘APEX’ on Netflix. <\/p>\n
Photo by Kane Skennar\/Netflix<\/p>\n
One particularly intense sequence involves Sasha climbing straight up a sheer rock face, something Theron insisted on doing herself. <\/p>\n
Korm\u00e1kur admitted he was concerned. \u201cThat final ascent was more than I would have liked to do myself, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
The scene was filmed on a real, jagged cliff, not a green screen, and required immense physical endurance. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere were some security measures, but at the same time, just to go off that cliff and do that climb, it was incredible. Your knees would be shaking just standing there. That was one of the most intense moments.\u201d<\/p>\n
Filming that sequence alone took an entire day. <\/p>\n
\u201cShe was just hanging off that cliff for a whole day,\u201d Korm\u00e1kur added, noting that Theron handled many of the climbs throughout production. Interestingly, he added that she found climbing easier than kayaking. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor her, the climbing was much easier than the kayaking because that\u2019s something she felt more in control of. She kept getting thrown by the water, so I think physically that was very punishing for her when she was doing some of the kayaking stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taron Egerton in ‘APEX’ on Netflix.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY KANE SKENNAR\/NETFLIX <\/p>\n
Egerton faced his own physical and psychological challenge in a scene that required him to dive from a very high cliff into the churning water below, and he did so multiple times. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was about 10 meters (32 feet) high, and he did that eight times, I think,\u201d confirmed Korm\u00e1kur. \u201cHe wanted to do it and push himself because he\u2019s scared of heights. He was very clear about that. But he did it, and the fear in his eyes is real. It’s not acting.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the end, APEX deserves to go down as one of the most intense thrillers of all time. It isn’t just gripping because of its brutal stunts or breathtaking locations. It\u2019s the raw authenticity behind every moment that lingers long after the credits roll. <\/p>\n
When actors willingly step to the edge, physically and emotionally, that danger translates to the screen in a way no visual effect can replicate. The result is a thriller that doesn\u2019t just entertain; it unsettles, immerses, and refuses to let go long after the final frame. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Taron Egerton and Charlize Theron did most of their own stunts in Netflix’s ‘APEX.’ Photo by Kane Skennar\/Netflix…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411001,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[43928,194154,189669,458,13356,194157,146,192674,85,46,194156,400,194155,45518],"class_list":{"0":"post-411000","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrities","8":"tag-adventures","9":"tag-australias-blue-mountains-national-park","10":"tag-baltasar-kormakur","11":"tag-celebrities","12":"tag-charlize-theron","13":"tag-dangerous-movie-stunts","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-eric-bana","16":"tag-il","17":"tag-israel","18":"tag-kayaking","19":"tag-netflix","20":"tag-rock-climbing","21":"tag-taron-egerton"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}