Netflix's latest number one film, Apex, continues to grip subscribers with its intense survival thriller storyline. Starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton, the movie follows grieving rock climber Sasha, who after losing the love of her life, seeks to test her limits in the Australian wilderness. However, her journey takes a dark turn when she encounters Ben, a ruthless apex predator and serial killer, who forces her into a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Is Apex Based on a True Story?
Despite fan curiosity, it has been confirmed that Apex on Netflix is not based on a true story. However, creator Jeremy Robbins, who began writing the hit movie during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, was inspired by two of his favorite childhood films.
Robbins believes Apex serves as his homage to the 1972 thriller Deliverance and Meryl Streep's 1994 classic The River Wild. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Robbins explained: "Deliverance and The River Wild were such touchstones in my childhood and high school life that I was absolutely writing towards them. So I very proudly embrace those comparisons to two movies I've loved immensely for most of my life."
Real-Life Inspirations for the Villain
Although Apex is not based on a true story, Egerton's murderous character bears similarities to some real-life serial killers. Australian serial killer Ivan Milat, also known as The Backpack Killer, abducted backpackers in the New South Wales forest areas in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Milat was the inspiration behind the 2005 horror film Wolf Creek. Another infamous Australian serial killer, Robert "Butcher Baker" Hansen, was known for hunting down his victims, often flying them to remote areas in the Alaskan wilderness and releasing them before tracking them with weapons.
Apex is available to watch on Netflix.
