By Charlize Theron and her Apex co-star Taron Egerton have pulled back the curtain on what it truly took to make Netflix’s latest survival thriller — and the revelations are as raw as the film itself. From back-to-back physical stunts in the Australian wilderness to an unlikely bonding ritual involving side-by-side bathtubs and South African biltong, the two stars painted a vivid picture of a production that pushed them far beyond their comfort zones.
Apex, now streaming on Netflix, is already generating buzz for its relentless pacing and committed performances. But the story behind the camera may be just as gripping as the one on screen.
Quick Facts — Apex on Netflix
- Film title: Apex
- Streaming platform: Netflix (currently available)
- Filming location: New South Wales, Australia
- Charlize Theron’s age during filming: 50
- Taron Egerton’s age during filming: 36
- Genre: Survival thriller
- Character names: Sasha (Theron) and Ben (Egerton)
- Notable detail: Both stars performed many of their own stunts
What Is Apex on Netflix?
Apex is a survival thriller now available on Netflix that stars Charlize Theron as Sasha, a woman who embarks on a solo kayaking trip through the remote Australian wilderness following a devastating personal loss. What begins as a journey of solitude quickly turns into a fight for survival.
Out in the wild, Sasha crosses paths with Ben (Taron Egerton), a local man who initially appears friendly. That illusion does not last. Ben reveals himself to be a violent predator who turns Sasha into his prey, forcing her to use every resource at her disposal to stay alive.
The film was shot on location in New South Wales, Australia — a choice that added both visual authenticity and physical difficulty to the production. The rugged terrain, unpredictable weather, and outdoor water sequences demanded extraordinary physical endurance from both lead performers.
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A Survival Story Built on Real Locations
Unlike many thrillers that simulate outdoor environments on controlled sets, Apex committed to its remote Australian setting in full. That decision amplified the film’s tension — but it came at a significant physical cost to the cast.
Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton spent weeks in conditions that would challenge even seasoned athletes. Water scenes in particular were among the most demanding, requiring repeated immersion in cold outdoor environments with little opportunity to warm up between takes.
Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton’s Unexpected Set Ritual
In an exclusive joint interview, Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton revealed a behind-the-scenes detail that few productions would ever mention publicly: the two stars spent significant time between takes sitting in separate portable bathtubs placed side by side.
“Our one little bit of luxury that we had was we each had a bath,” Egerton explained. “We had a little bath each.”
Theron confirmed the setup, describing the tubs as small hot tubs. Egerton elaborated on the practical necessity: constant water exposure, especially outside of peak sunlight hours, caused the cast to get dangerously cold. The warm baths served as a medical and logistical solution to keep them healthy enough to continue filming.
Biltong, Bonding, and an Unconventional Friendship
The bath ritual quickly evolved into something more personal. Theron, who was born in South Africa, introduced Egerton to biltong — a traditional South African dried meat similar in concept to jerky but distinct in flavour and preparation method.
“Charlize would kind of feed me biltong. Traditional South African biltong,” Egerton recalled with evident fondness. “And we would sit and gnaw on biltong to try and keep in our sinewy climbers’ physiques.”
Theron summed up the situation with characteristic dry wit: “We were forced to sit next to each other in hot water. We couldn’t be like, ‘Can you move my tub a little bit over there?’ But it was lovely.”
The anecdote offers a rare, humanising glimpse into the unglamorous mechanics of high-stakes film production. Between scenes in which Egerton dragged Theron across dirt and through water, the two were sitting inches apart, snacking and recovering like any two exhausted colleagues sharing a break room.
“Just another day at the office,” Egerton laughed.
The Grueling Stunt Work That Defined the Shoot
Both Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton performed many of their own stunts during the Apex shoot — a decision that elevated the film’s authenticity but significantly raised the physical demands on each performer.
Theron, at 50, has long been known for refusing to shy away from physically demanding roles. Her commitment to performing real stunt work throughout Apex is consistent with a career-long pattern of full-body investment in her characters.
Working in Water, Dirt, and Remote Terrain
The New South Wales location provided a genuinely hostile environment for filming. Water sequences required both stars to endure repeated immersion, while ground-level scenes — including moments in which Egerton’s character physically handles Theron’s — were shot in actual dirt and bush terrain.
The combination of cold water exposure and physical performance took a toll. The side-by-side bathtub system was not a luxury indulgence — it was a practical health measure that allowed production to continue without interruption.
Egerton described the routine candidly: warm up in the bath, eat biltong, then return to set for scenes that involved tying Theron to him and dragging her through dirt. It is the kind of matter-of-fact endurance that rarely makes it into press junkets but defines how demanding films actually get made.
Charlize Theron’s Legacy of Physical Roles
Charlize Theron has built one of the most physically committed careers in Hollywood over the past two decades. Long before Apex, she established a pattern of transforming her body and taking on extreme physicality in service of her roles.
Her Academy Award-winning performance in Monster (2003) saw her undergo a significant physical transformation to portray real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Years later, she trained extensively for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), performing much of her own driving and action work in the Namibian desert.
Atomic Blonde (2017) showcased Theron’s action credibility even more directly — the film’s hand-to-hand combat sequences required months of martial arts training, and she reportedly cracked her teeth from the physical stress of filming.
Why Physical Commitment Matters for Her Roles
Theron has spoken in multiple interviews about the connection between physical preparation and emotional authenticity. For her, inhabiting a role physically is inseparable from inhabiting it psychologically.
Apex fits naturally into this framework. Sasha is a woman in survival mode — exhausted, grieving, and fighting against a more powerful adversary. Playing that character convincingly in a sterile studio environment would have been far more difficult than doing it in actual Australian wilderness, cold water and all.
What Apex Means for Netflix’s Thriller Lineup
Netflix has steadily expanded its catalogue of original thriller films, with varying levels of critical and audience success. Apex arrives with significant star power in both Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton — two performers who bring credibility and commercial appeal to the streaming platform.
Theron’s Netflix appearances have historically drawn strong viewership numbers. Egerton, best known to mainstream audiences for the Kingsman franchise and his critically acclaimed portrayal of Elton John in Rocketman (2019), brings a fanbase that spans action audiences and prestige film viewers alike.
A Film That Benefits From the Netflix Model
The survival thriller genre tends to perform well on streaming platforms, where audiences can experience the tension of a film in their own controlled environment. Apex — with its remote setting, two-hander dynamic, and escalating threat — is structurally well-suited to the Netflix model.
The film’s early buzz suggests it may become one of Netflix’s stronger performing original thrillers of 2026, particularly given the calibre of its lead performances and the authenticity of its production approach.
What This Means for Fans
The behind-the-scenes details from Apex do more than generate press coverage — they reveal the genuine chemistry between Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton that fans will likely notice on screen.
Authentic bonds between co-stars frequently translate into more believable on-screen dynamics, even when those dynamics involve conflict. The fact that Theron and Egerton spent intimate, unglamorous time together between takes — sharing food, warming up side by side, dealing with physical discomfort in real time — likely contributed to the texture of their performances.
For audiences streaming Apex now, knowing that the physical toll shown on screen was real, and that the two leads navigated it together with humour and camaraderie, adds a layer of appreciation to what they’re watching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Apex about on Netflix? A: Apex is a survival thriller starring Charlize Theron as Sasha, a woman kayaking solo through the Australian wilderness who becomes the target of a violent local played by Taron Egerton. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Q: Did Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton do their own stunts in Apex? A: Yes. Both Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton performed many of their own stunts during the grueling New South Wales shoot, which involved water sequences, physical confrontations, and extended time in difficult outdoor terrain.
Q: Where was Apex filmed? A: Apex was filmed on location in New South Wales, Australia. The remote setting was central to the film’s survival thriller narrative and added significant physical challenges to the production.
Q: What is biltong, and why did Charlize Theron bring it to set? A: Biltong is a traditional South African dried meat, distinct from American jerky in its preparation and flavour. Charlize Theron, who was born in South Africa, shared it with Taron Egerton during their between-takes bathtub recovery sessions as a high-protein snack to maintain energy during the demanding shoot.
Q: Is Apex worth watching on Netflix? A: Early audience response to Apex has been positive, with praise directed at the performances of Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton and the film’s commitment to authentic location filming. Fans of survival thrillers and both lead performers are the natural audience.
Apex is more than a Netflix thriller — it is a film that demanded real physical sacrifice from its two lead performers. Charlize Theron, at 50, once again demonstrated the full-commitment approach to physical acting that has defined her career, while Taron Egerton matched her step for step across a grueling Australian production.
The image of both stars sitting in side-by-side bathtubs, gnawing on biltong between takes, is equal parts absurd and deeply human — a reminder that even the most polished films are built from unglamorous, exhausting, oddly intimate moments. As streaming audiences settle in to watch Apex, they can watch knowing that what they see on screen cost exactly what it looks like it cost.
With Apex now live on Netflix, the conversation around Charlize Theron’s continued dominance as one of Hollywood’s most physically committed actors is unlikely to quieten any time soon.
