Apex is an exhilarating film featuring a limited cast and a highly discomforting antagonist.

Although Baltasar Kormákur’s survival thriller showcases many striking action sequences and stunning visuals, it also harbors a rather bleak backstory beneath the surface.

So what transpires, and what does Jeremy Robbins’ screenplay suggest about the genuine purpose of the film’s serial killer? Let’s explore this.

What is Apex about?

The film revolves around Sasha (Charlize Theron), a rock climber facing the repercussions of an accident that took her partner, Tommy (Eric Bana). Sasha ventures to a remote national park in Australia with the goal of kayaking solo on a river, but her plans are interrupted by an encounter with Ben (Taron Egerton), a ranger determined to pursue her — seemingly, at first, for his own demented enjoyment.

Fortunately, Sasha is well-equipped to survive in extreme situations. What follows is a gripping pursuit across water, canyons, and cliffs, essentially an intense hour-long struggle for survival.

How does Sasha evade Ben?

When Ben traps Sasha in his killing cave, she executes a bold escape: biting off a portion of his ear and jumping from a ledge into the nearby river. Sasha’s hands are bound, and she is tied to a rope Ben intended to use to pull her up; this enables him to connect himself to her as they are carried downstream by the current. Upon reaching the shore, Sasha fractures Ben’s leg with a rock before he can overpower her.

The challenge? The single path back to safety involves climbing a towering cliff face, which they must scale together to evade capture. Ben threatens to throw Sasha off the wall if she tries to unclip her harness and abandon him, but halfway up, she cleverly manages to do just that while partially hidden by an overhanging ledge. Ben meets his demise as he falls, while Sasha free solos the remainder of the wall to safety.

A radio news report at the conclusion uncovers that authorities have discovered 20 bodies in Ben’s cave, connecting him to various disappearances in the area that were previously attributed to the treacherous environment.

What’s Ben’s true motive?

While the film doesn’t reveal all there is to know about Ben, it provides sufficient hints. It’s evident he’s a serial killer, but while his primary motive appears to be the excitement of hunting human victims, the cave scene discloses a more sinister reality: Ben is a cannibal who treats his victims like animals, devouring parts of them and transforming other sections into jerky that he sells at a local store.

“There are indigenous tribes that say to capture the spirit of your prey, you have to consume its liver,” Ben tells Sasha. “The trick is finding a spirit worth capturing, I suppose.”

It’s unclear what led Ben down this gruesome path, but his frequent mentions of his mother imply he has been this way for quite some time.

“She was special,” Ben confides to Sasha when she asks about the photo of him and his mother. “She was the first one. Do you understand? Now she’s always with me. I’m going to keep you with me too.”

Ben seems to be fixated on the perverse concept of hunting and consuming human prey as a method of acquiring power.

Apex is currently available for streaming on Netflix.