Where was Charlize Theron's 'Apex' shot? Explore real locations behind Netflix's survival thriller
Contains spoilers for 'Apex'
Charlize Theron's 'Apex' continues to generate buzz. The survival thriller starring 'The Old Guard' star follows Sasha (Theron), a grieving rock climber who finds herself being hunted as she tries to survive in the wild. The crisp cast also stars Taron Egerton as Ben, Eric Bana as Tommy, a rock climber and Sasha's late husband, and Matt Whelan as one of the hunters. While the gripping plot is one of the major talking points, the locations where the film was shot also get some of the spotlight. Throughout the film, the audience was in awe of the shooting locations.
Much of 'Apex' was filmed in Australia. The Grand Canyon Walking Track and Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales were among the prime locations. The showdown between Sasha and Ben was shot at the National Park, which set the tone with mammoth rock formations, deep gorges, and breathtaking yet scary waterfalls. The general store where Sasha picks up some supplies at the start of the film is the General Store and Post Office in Bowning, NSW.
The river scenes were filmed at The Needles, a swimming hole. The production also shot some sequences at Ginninderra Falls near the ACT border. In related news, director Baltasar Kormákur shed light on the locations. He revealed why he chose Australia in an interview with Timeout. "We needed to shoot in a warm climate at a specific time of year, so the Southern Hemisphere came into play," Kormákur said. "Then, for economic reasons, Australia became one of the options. As I started looking into it, I felt it was actually a great idea to locate the film here and really use Australian nature, which is unique, and build the film around that more. That choice took us down a very particular path."
He also spoke of the challenges: "The obstacle is what you’re looking for; the rub between your idea and the obstacle is often where art is created. When you don’t have obstacles, filmmaking becomes too contrived, too easy, and nothing feels real. For this level of filmmaking, you need technical solutions and some studio work to achieve certain things. But by starting the film out in nature, the hardship the actors and crew go through lives in them." For those yet to catch the film and experience the Australian wilderness in all its glory, 'Apex' is streaming on Netflix.
