If You Loved Netflix’s ‘Apex’, Check Out These Must-See Survival Thrillers

Netflix’s latest adrenaline machine, ‘Apex’, has been dominating the streamer’s top ten since its release. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur and featuring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton, it is a lean, merciless survival thriller that pits a grieving mountaineer against a crossbow-wielding psychopath in the unforgiving Australian Outback, barely allowing viewers a moment to breathe during its intense 95-minute runtime.

Theron, who also serves as a producer on the film, described the project’s appeal to Netflix succinctly, stating it is “about a woman who finds herself in the woods with a serial killer, and she has to win.” Egerton, fully embracing his villainous role, is equally chilling. In an interview with Netflix Tudum, he referred to his character as “just about the most fucked-up” he has ever portrayed, noting there was “something delicious and irresistible about it.”

If you’ve already devoured ‘Apex’ and are eager for more, here are some top survival thrillers to queue up next.

One obvious choice is ‘Don’t Move’, another Netflix original that shares much with ‘Apex’. The film follows a grieving mother named Iris, played by Kelsey Asbille, who retreats to a remote forest where she encounters a stranger named Richard, portrayed by Finn Wittrock. He reveals himself to be a killer and injects her with a paralytic substance, leaving her just 20 minutes before her nervous system shuts down. This twist of paralysis elevates the tension to unbearable levels, making it a fitting companion piece to ‘Apex’.

Also available on Netflix is ‘Fall’, a 2022 thriller that begins in a nearly identical manner to ‘Apex’. Becky, played by Grace Caroline Currey, witnesses her boyfriend fall to his death at the film’s outset. Coerced out of her grief by her best friend, she climbs a derelict 2,000-foot broadcasting tower, and things take a disastrous turn. While it lacks a human killer, its vertigo-inducing sequences will leave your palms just as sweaty.

Director Baltasar Kormákur is no stranger to survival cinema, and his 2022 film ‘Beast’ is essential viewing after ‘Apex’. The film stars Idris Elba as an American doctor whose trip to Africa with his two daughters turns disastrous when they find themselves hunted by a rogue lion. Kormákur employs the same kinetic, immersive visual style seen in ‘Apex’, and the film moves at a relentless pace.

For something even rawer and more desolate, ‘The Grey’ offers a survival story stripped to its essentials. Liam Neeson stars as John Ottway, an oilman whose plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness. As he attempts to lead the survivors to safety, a vicious pack of wolves begins to hunt them through the frozen landscape. This film treats survival as a deeply philosophical question, exploring what drives a person to keep going when all hope seems lost.

Craig Zobel’s ‘The Hunt’ takes a more satirical approach to the genre while maintaining the tension that defines a quality survival film. It uses dark humor to highlight the absurdity of the situation and flips the cat-and-mouse dynamic when the captors realize they have ensnared the wrong person. Betty Gilpin shines in this film, which combines wit and genuine menace to stand alongside the best in this genre.

If you’re looking for something that leans into the Australian setting that makes ‘Apex’ so effective, ‘Dead Calm’ is a classic that strikes similar chords. Phillip Noyce’s 1989 thriller follows a couple, played by Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill, who invite a stranger, portrayed by Billy Zane, onto their yacht while drifting through the Pacific Ocean, leading to disastrous consequences. It is available for free on Tubi and Kanopy.

Another noteworthy film is ‘Dangerous Animals’, directed by Sean Byrne, which pairs a serial killer with a deeply unsettling weapon of choice. Jai Courtney plays Tucker, a man who abducts women and feeds them to sharks off the Australian coast, while Hassie Harrison portrays the surfer determined not to become his next victim. The film maintains a serious tone, enhancing its enjoyment. It is currently streaming on Hulu and Shudder.

For those seeking heavier hitters, few villains in cinema evoke the same dread as Anton Chigurh in ‘No Country for Old Men’. Javier Bardem portrays the character more like a monster than a man, impossible to reason with or slow down. The cat-and-mouse dynamic feels one-sided and inevitable. This film operates on a different level of filmmaking craft, yet the sustained dread it generates resonates with the emotional intensity of ‘Apex’.

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ‘The Revenant’ remains the gold standard for survival cinema. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a primal performance that embodies desperation and grit, exploring themes of revenge, isolation, and the lengths one will go to survive against overwhelming odds. If ‘Apex’ merely scratched the surface of survival cinema, ‘The Revenant’ tears it wide open.

All these films share the same beating heart as ‘Apex’. They understand that the scariest aspect of survival is not merely the predator pursuing you, but the question of what you are willing to become to stay alive.

Tell us in the comments which of these survival thrillers is your favorite and whether anything comes close to matching the tension of ‘Apex’.