Apex

 

Apex is a psychological survival thriller starring Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana. The plot centers on a traumatized mountain climber who, haunted by a fatal decision in Norway, retreats to the Australian wilderness. Her isolation quickly shatters when a deceptive local targets her as ritualistic prey.

Visually, the film was stunning; the Australian scenery was beautiful, and the cinematography captured the vastness of the outback perfectly. Unfortunately, the writing completely failed to match the visuals. The dialogue was terrible, the plot was utterly predictable from the start, and the script was riddled with logical holes. In fact, the entire "hunting humans in the wilderness" setup paired with Egerton's bizarre energy unexpectedly channeled major The Pest vibes, though completely missing that movie's intentional comedy. While the movie attempted to tackle heavy themes like grief, psychological endurance, and facing your fears, it never built real suspense. You never genuinely worried about the protagonist's survival because the stakes lacked tension.

The performances were equally mixed. Even in the worst of projects, Charlize Theron still managed to keep my attention with her star power presence. This film was no different, as she was undeniably impressive here, executing almost all of her own high-intensity stunts. She trained for over two months with professional climber Beth Rodden to scale real, jagged cliffs in the Outback and repeatedly leaped off a cliff into a pool below without a stunt double. Meanwhile, Taron Egerton’s performance struggled; his forced Australian accent was incredibly distracting, and his villainous character registered more as weirdly awkward than genuinely sinister or threatening.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that it seemed like Theron is becoming heavily typecast in these physically demanding, survival-driven roles. This Netflix-released project was put out by her own production company, Denver and Delilah, the same team behind The Old Guard, and it is unfortunate that her produced films continue to miss the mark. Ultimately, Apex stands as another highly-produced Netflix movie with great actors that simply isn't worth the watch.

Jack Ryan: Ghost War (Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War) - 5/21/26

 

Jack Ryan: Ghost War is a political action thriller that serves as a feature-length continuation of the Amazon Prime Video series, bringing John Krasinski back as the iconic CIA operative. The plot follows Ryan as he reunites with his old agency allies to untangle a treacherous web of betrayal against an enemy who seemingly anticipates their every move.

On paper, the setup was highly reminiscent of Skyfall, but the execution was far less sharp. What stood out as truly odd was that the creative team behind the successful television series returned for this film, yet the final product lacked the clever scriptwriting and high-stakes suspense that made the show so addictive.

The story moved at a fast pace, but it compromised the character development, so I was left without a strong connection to anyone on screen. Additionally, major plot points were predictable, which took away from the overall tension. While the narrative elements fell short, the action sequences clearly drew inspiration from over-the-top blockbusters like True Lies, offering some fun, explosive set pieces.

Underneath the chaos, the film attempted to touch on deeper themes around trust and confronting a forgotten past, but everything was ultimately pushed aside to keep the brisk pace moving. In the end, it made for an okay popcorn flick if you already love the characters, but it doesn't quite live up to the standard the franchise previously established.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a comedy-drama sequel that reunites Andy Sachs and Miranda Priestly, twenty years later, as they navigate a modern media landscape defined by scandals and the decline of print magazines.

While it was wonderful to see the original cast back together, the film often came across as nostalgia bait. Having Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and an especially great Emily Blunt reprising their roles was a treat, and the additions of Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, and Kenneth Branagh brought some fresh energy.

The plot was easy to follow, but ultimately landed as predictable and a bit lazy, relying on a nearly identical narrative structure and several deliberate callbacks to the original. The core conflict shifted from Andy's personal discovery to a focus on institutional survival, and some of the themes around "loving to work" bordered on toxic. The film effectively praised working late hours and neglecting self-care or family time as if those were virtues, even though that lifestyle is completely unsustainable. It also struck me as pretentious, attempting to preach about the vital importance of journalism while exclusively focusing on the elite world of haute couture. There was an attempt to push for body positivity, but it seemed like a hollow gesture since it didn't really go beyond a brief cameo from Ashley Graham.

There were some funny moments and very obvious digs at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez that landed well, but the fashion and soundtrack just weren't as iconic as the first film. Even with a few recycled lines and repurposed outfits, the movie lacked the spark that made the original a classic.

I also had mixed feelings regarding the casting. While it was great to see Tracie Thoms return as Lily and Simone Ashley join the cast as Amari, they appeared a bit underutilized. Both actresses were incredibly capable in their roles, but they served more as plot devices than fully realized people; it would have been nice to see them have lives and goals outside of just supporting the leads. My main issue, however, stemmed from the representation of the other Asian American characters, most of whom fell into one-dimensional, tired stereotypes.

In the end, this film isn’t one I’d recommend one rush to see. It was a decent watch for the fans, but it leaned too heavily on the past rather than carving out a new future.

Cherry

Cherry is a crime drama directed by the Russo brothers, based on Nico Walker’s semi-autobiographical novel. It stars Tom Holland as an army medic who returns from Iraq with PTSD and spirals into addiction and crime.

While the lead performances from Holland and Ciara Bravo, as Emily, were strong, there just wasn't enough diversity or character development to make me truly care about the outcome. While some might see the relationship between Cherry and Emily as toxic, to me, it felt more like two people with low self-esteem being easily influenced by their circumstances.

The storytelling felt a bit thin, and the plot definitely started to lose me about two-thirds of the way through. I found myself checking the time frequently. The film relied heavily on a soft-lighting look early on that felt almost fake, and the quick, Marvel-esque cuts made the war sequences feel crisp but lacked the true heaviness you would expect from a war movie. It felt like a very anti-military film, highlighting a toxic environment where rank is valued over ideas, and it critiques a failing healthcare system that treats deep trauma with temporary fixes.

Even though the movie spans twenty years, some of the aging choices, like giving Holland a mustache, felt a bit silly. It also struggled with that common Hollywood obsession with portraying prison as the only path for rehabilitation for people with PTSD.

Overall, the story wasn't particularly unique, and the directing felt like a bit of a nepotism project where the Russo brothers and Holland just wanted to work together again post-Avengers without a fully fleshed-out idea. It really lacked the grit needed for such a serious subject.