Cannibal jerky, fractured toes, and cliffs that require swimming lessons. The real Aussie nightmare behind Netflix’s 2026 thriller.
Let’s be honest: a charming psychopath who ritualistically murders people and secretly feeds them to the public isn’t exactly fiction anymore.
But in Netflix’s Apex (2026), at least Ben the cannibal sells his “homemade jerky” at a rural general store instead of, say, a global pizza chain with a creepy mascot and an island nobody leaves.
Progress? Anyway. On to the cliffs that tried to kill Charlize Theron.
After her husband Tommy (Eric Bana) dies in a climbing accident at Norway’s Troll Wall, elite rock climber Sasha (Charlize Theron) retreats to the Australian bush for a solo kayaking trip.
Now, there’s the Eat, Pray, Love solo travel journey – yoga retreats, quiet beaches, journaling by a fire. And then there’s Apex solo – remote gorges, uncharted rivers, and creepy men who ask, ‘You here alone?’ a little too eagerly.
Grief becomes a nightmare when she meets Ben (Taron Egerton), a seemingly helpful local who sells “homemade jerky,” but is actually a ritualistic serial killer.
Ben hunts Sasha through treacherous terrain – cliffs, gorges, and waterfalls. Sasha must use her climbing skills and sheer will to survive. Also, she needs two arm surgeries afterward (really!).
Cast: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana, Caitlin Stasey, Matt Whelan.
Table of Contents
🎬 Where Was Apex Filmed?
You survived the cannibal jerky joke – now let’s visit the Australian (and other) hellscapes where Charlize Theron nearly died for your entertainment.
❄️ Trollveggen, Norway
Europe’s Tallest Vertical Rock Face. Where the Pain Began.
The film’s opening climbing sequence, in which Eric Bana’s character Tommy dies, was shot on the real Troll Wall, Europe’s tallest vertical rock face.
This is where Theron’s nightmare started. Not the character’s nightmare. Charlize’s.
During an early take, she slipped while reaching for a handhold, and her body weight tore the muscles between her ribs. That’s the first week of filming. And she still had Australia to go.
The Troll Wall (Trollveggen) is a real mountain in the Romsdalen valley, known for being one of the deadliest climbing faces in Europe. Director Baltasar Kormákur chose it specifically to make audiences feel genuine vertigo. Mission accomplished.
Also, Sasha’s husband, Tommy, dies here, which means the entire plot of grief, revenge, and cannibal jerky only happens because a rock face in Norway said “nope.”
What was filmed here:
- Opening climbing tragedy: Husband dies, Sasha’s grief begins, Theron’s ribs tear.
Travel tips & warnings:
- Trollveggen is a real tourist destination near Åndalsnes.
- The wall is 1,100 meters tall. Falling is fatal. Stick to hiking nearby trails.
- Don’t attempt to climb unless you enjoy being rescued by a helicopter.
- Also, travel insurance explicitly excludes “acting like Charlize Theron.”
🩸 Bowning General Store, NSW
The Jerky Was Always the Red Flag
Bowning is a historic village in the Southern Tablelands that looks like charming rural Australia. It is not charming.
The local post office and central garage doubled as the general store where Sasha first encountered Ben, Egerton‘s character, revealed to be a cannibal who makes jerky out of his victims to sell at this very store.
So that “local specialty” on the counter? Yeah. The production team clearly had fun with this one.
The production chose Bowning for its isolated, “anywhere Australia” feel. Locals reportedly found the crew’s presence amusing until they learned the plot. Then they locked their doors and probably stopped buying jerky.
What was filmed here:
- General store: First creepy encounter with future cannibal.
Travel tips & warning:
- Bowning is a real village. The general store exists. Do not ask about the jerky.
- If a local offers you homemade dried meat, run. Then keep running.
🏔️ Blue Mountains National Park, NSW
Grand Canyon, But Make it Australian and Awful
After Norway broke her ribs, Theron flew to Australia for more punishment. The Blue Mountains aren’t just a pretty postcard – they’re the film’s co-villain.
Kormákur wanted “authentic suffering,” so he helicopter-dropped a scaled-down crew of 40 people into gorges so remote that swimming to set was mandatory. Crew members wore wetsuits and hard hats just to scout locations.
Theron had already slammed her foot into a rock during a water sequence, fracturing it, and famously hid the injury in a ‘cute boot’ at a Netflix event a week after filming finished.
Still nursing broken ribs from Norway, a freshly fractured toe from a water sequence, and an ulnar nerve that would later need two surgeries, she hauled her body over a real cliff ledge in Glenbrook Gorge.
No mechanical assistance. Just pain and spite.
The final boulder sequence was filmed on an actual cliff face. Theron was on a safety line but had to physically climb in real-time while completely exhausted.
Her ulnar nerve displacement happened when she “yanked” her arm on a steel floor bolt. She described the entire experience as “one of the most rewarding of her career.”
That’s either dedication or a concussion.
What was filmed here:
- Grand Canyon walking track: Main chase through narrow, winding gorges
- Glenbrook Gorge: Climax boulder sequence (Theron’s fracture special)
- Jelly Bean Pool: Deceptively named climbing prep scenes
Travel tips & warnings:
- Choose a guided tour. The terrain is so brutal that scouting required swimming through caves.
- It’s accessible via walking tracks, but don’t try the “swim to set” method. Rangers frown on drowning.
- Parts used are off-limits to the public. Bring bug spray, a will to live, and maybe a “cute boot” of your own.
💧 The Needles, Engadine
Where Taron Egerton Confronted His Crippling Fear of Heights
This remote “wild swimming hole” along the Woronora River in southern Sydney looks serene. It is not serene.
The sequence involves Ben capsizing Sasha’s canoe – a tense river-work scene that required Egerton to look menacing while internally screaming.
Egerton, who is admittedly afraid of heights, performed a 10-meter (32-foot) cliff jump into churning, freezing water. Eight times. The fear in his eyes is entirely real – no acting was involved.
Trivia:
- Egerton can famously pronounce the 58-letter Welsh village name Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
- Theron reportedly learned about that village from a late-night TV show. Neither skill helped during the cliff jump.
- Theron‘s daughter August, who often joined climbing sessions, reportedly out-climbed her mother while Theron focused on the “mechanics” of the sport. Humiliating and adorable.
What was filmed here:
- Woronora River: Canoe capsizing and “oh no, a cannibal” sequence.
Travel tips & warnings:
- The Needles is a wild swimming spot in the Royal National Park.
- Access requires a hike. Bring friends (preferably non-cannibalistic).
- The water is cold. The currents are unpredictable. No one is selling jerky nearby. Probably.
🏞️ Ginninderra Falls, ACT/NSW Border
Sixty Meters of Regret
Located near Canberra, this site features a spectacular 60-meter drop into a deep gorge. Sasha cliff-jumps here to escape Ben. The sequence required Theron to look terrified while actually being on a safety line, but the height was real.
The falls straddle the ACT/NSW border, meaning Sasha technically jumped between territories. Jurisdictional nightmare for the killer, really.
“Sorry, officer, the crime happened in the ACT, but the body landed in NSW…”
What was filmed here:
- Cliff jump sequence: High-stakes escape over a real waterfall
Travel tips & warnings:
- This site is closed to the public. Watch the movie instead. It’s safer and drier.
- Trespassing = fines. Jumping = death. Don’t be Ben. Don’t be Sasha either, honestly.
🌊 Penrith Whitewater Stadium, Sydney
Where Safety Existed (Briefly)
Built for the 2000 Olympics, this facility was used to safely simulate intense kayaking runs. Because real rivers were trying to kill the cast.
Olympic-level kayakers Luuka Jones and River Mutton performed the most dangerous white-water and waterfall sequences as Theron‘s stunt doubles. You are not Olympic-level. Don’t try it.
Theron struggled more with kayaking than climbing. Her six months of climbing training with legendary climber Beth Rodden (known for her historic ascent of Yosemite’s “Meltdown”) prepared her for heights.
She trained in kayaking but found unpredictable currents “punishing” and was frequently “thrown around.” The river had no respect for her ballet training or her pain tolerance.
And after all those broken bones and torn muscles, it was an inner ear infection that forced her to miss the final day of shooting.
What was filmed here:
- Controlled kayak stunts: Raging water without the raging death
Travel tips & warnings:
- You can visit! It’s a public sports facility. Try the kayaking. It’s safer than The Needles.
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🌿 Wedding Cake Rock, Royal National Park
Where Sasha Finally Catches a Break
The Royal National Park‘s dramatic beaches and rainforests were used for the final scenes after Sasha survives (spoiler? it’s a survival thriller, you do the math).
Wedding Cake Rock and the Bundeena coastal track provide the backdrop for her ragged, bloodied emergence. Theron collapsed after the final “escape” take. The crew thought she was acting. She was not.
The park is the world’s second-oldest national park (1879). Predates cannibal jerky as a plot device by about 145 years.
What was filmed here:
- Wedding Cake Rock: Sasha’s battered emergence from the bush
- Bundeena to Otford track: Final escape sequence
Travel tips & warnings:
- Gorgeous hiking. Wedding Cake Rock is a 2.5-hour walk. Don’t go alone if you’ve just watched the movie.
- Check for closures. Also, check for men offering jerky. Also, check for cliffs.
🌊 New Zealand – More Extreme Kayaking
Some specialized, challenging water scenes were filmed in New Zealand – because even Australia’s death rivers weren’t enough. Kormákur needed variety in his cast-drowning portfolio.
What was filmed here:
- Additional water sequences: More kayaking, more suffering.
Travel tips & warnings:
- New Zealand is gorgeous. Also less likely to contain cannibal jerky.
- Still has rivers. Still respect them.
🎥 Disney Studios Australia, Moore Park, Sydney
Sixty-foot artificial rock walls were built outdoors for technical climbing sequences that were too risky for the full crew in the wild. Still faced unpredictable weather and high winds. Still dangerous.
Australia wanted blood. Norway started it.
What was filmed here:
- Controlled climbing walls: High-altitude stunts with safety nets (novel concept)
Travel tips:
It’s a working studio. No tours. But plenty of activities in Moore Park.
- Catch a game at Allianz Stadium.
- Ride the giant Ferris wheel.
- Walk to nearby Centennial Parklands.
- Grab a beer at The Entertainment Quarter.
- Catch a movie at Hoyts (less painful than Apex filming).
- Coffee and pastry at Fox Studios cafes.
🍿 Where to Watch Apex (2026)
Survived the locations? Now survive the couch. Netflix locked this down like Ben locking his basement. Popcorn recommended. Jerky is not recommended.
🍻 The Apex Drinking Game
Every time you read the word “jerky” in this article, take a sip. Every time you read “cute boot,” finish your drink. By the end, you’ll need as many surgeries as Charlize Theron. Cheers.
Jerky count in this article: 14 mentions (including this one). You’ve been warned.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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