Apex, a suspenseful film starring Charlize Theron as rock climber Sasha and Taron Egerton as serial killer Ben, is the latest action-thriller to arrive on Netflix. Directed by Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur—known for the 2015 film Everest and the 2025 BBC One miniseries King & Conqueror—this survival drama centers on Sasha, a bereaved woman who has lost both her life partner and her passion for climbing.
While climbing has been the subject of several recent high-profile projects, such as Alex Honnold’s Free Solo and Skyscraper Live, Apex is not a documentary, nor is it based on a specific historical event.
Nonetheless, certain elements of the film draw parallels to distinct real-life situations. While Egerton’s character is fictional, his methods can be compared to notorious historical serial killers.
For instance, the infamous murderer Robert Hansen was known for tracking his victims in the wilderness rather than killing them immediately. Similarly, the 2005 horror movie Wolf Creek was inspired by Ivan Milat, another killer notorious for kidnapping hikers. Although the techniques used by Milat and Hansen resemble those of Egerton’s character, the cast and crew of Apex have not confirmed whether these parallels were intentional.
Discussing the development of his character with Empire, Egerton remarked:
“The scariest things in life are always the corners that aren’t well lit, and I feel that way about Ben. I like the allusions. I like the hints at what’s happened, the sense that a relationship with his mother ended very, very badly. But I think the moment you start to spell all of that out… you lose something of the enigma. There’s a lot you learn in The Silence Of The Lambs about Hannibal Lecter, but there’s also a great deal [you don’t know].”
Interestingly, Egerton also drew inspiration from an unexpected source: Peter Pan. In the film’s official production notes, the actor explained:
“He was more of an archetypal ‘wild man of the woods’ with a full beard and top knot when I was first sent the script. I recommended that the character be changed so that it ‘felt more like a kid playing pretend, a kid trying to demonstrate that he’s a grown-up and knows his way around these parts.’ Some of the ideas for Peter Pan originated from that, which felt productive.”
Ultimately, screenwriters Jeremy Robbins and Taron Egerton succeeded in placing viewers squarely in Sasha’s shoes as she fights for survival. By fusing a familiar serial killer narrative with a unique high-altitude setting, Apex offers a fresh take on the survival genre.