105 million views in 24 days have turned Netflix’s 90-minute survival thriller starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton into one of the platform’s most-watched recent releases. Set in the Australian desert and sitting at 66 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is now chasing Netflix’s all-time Top 10, with 138 million views needed to leapfrog Damsel.
A lean 90-minute survival ride set in the Australian desert has surged up Netflix’s charts, driven by Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton. Apex, from director Baltasar Kormákur and writer Jeremy Robbins, has drawn more than 105 million views in its first 24 days, vaulting it among the service’s most watched films. The formula is disarmingly simple: short, sharp tension over franchise heft, even if a 66 percent Rotten Tomatoes score flags a wobble in the back half. With momentum on its side and The Rip looming as rival star power, the next hurdle is 138 million views to overtake Damsel and crash Netflix’s all-time top tier.
A major milestone for Netflix
Some films arrive quietly, then seize the moment. That is the case with Netflix thriller Apex, which has sprinted to a staggering 105 million views in 24 days. For a tight survival drama running just 90 minutes, the surge says a lot about what busy viewers want right now: clarity, urgency and a story that grips without asking for a whole weekend.
The story and the stars behind Apex
Set in the unforgiving Australian outback, Apex tracks two people pushed to the brink by circumstance and betrayal. Director Baltasar Kormákur, working from a script by Jeremy Robbins, builds tension in clean lines and sharp cuts. The casting does the rest. With Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton trading heat and silence, the film keeps its focus intimate, the stakes immediate, the horizon never comforting.
The numbers and critical reception
Viewers showed up. Critics, meanwhile, found reasons to debate. On 66% at Rotten Tomatoes, Apex drew praise for a muscular first half and some pushback for a more repetitive second act. Even so, the brisk runtime and star power align with how many people actually stream at night: 1 sitting, no filler, a clear promise kept by the closing credits.
Can Apex climb into Netflix’s Top 10?
Here is the scoreboard question: can Apex muscle into Netflix’s all-time Top 10 by views? To get there, it would need to pass the 138 million mark posted by Damsel in its first 91 days. Momentum matters, but so does staying power, and streaming curves often soften after the early pop. Comparisons to The Rip are inevitable, yet Apex’s pace-first design could keep curiosity alive.
A glimpse into the future of streaming cinema
Apex shows how a lean thriller can punch above its weight when discovery meets velocity. Shorter features travel faster on the homepage, and audiences reward confidence in pacing. For Netflix, milestones like this validate a slate that mixes spectacle with economy. If the platform keeps backing crisp, high-stakes stories, the next breakout might already be queued, one click from autoplay.
