Credit: Netflix

There is barely any point in wondering what everyone is watching this week on Netflix because there is only one right answer: Apex. And there is no surprise there because not only is it a brilliant film, but Charlize Theron has been very convincing as a survivor throughout.

The whole survival setup – the wilderness, the dangers and, most importantly, the constant chase – just works. You have Theron, who plays Sasha. She, who goes into the wild to escape a past accident, then runs into Ben, who turns out to be hunting people for sport. From there, it’s just a straight game of cat and mouse. Theron has done an excellent job in making the character look very believable, especially with her stunts of climbing, hiding, running, and doing whatever she can to stay alive while he tracks her down, and that’s why Apex is such a big hit.

Just behind it is 180, which has been in the charts for about two weeks now, and this week, it has climbed up to number two. It follows Zak, whose kid ends up in a really bad state after a road rage incident, and instead of things getting sorted properly, it all looks like he’s never going to get justice, so he decides to take matters into his own hands. Off he goes trying to track these people down, and you can feel how angry he is the whole time. That rage is what everyone is feeling in their nerves this week.

Then you’ve got Roommates, which is another Netflix sensation that Netflix watchers are singing praises about. As the name suggests, it’s a movie about two roommates, Devon and Celeste, first-year uni students who end up sharing a room. Initially, they are trying to be polite, figuring each other out, but it doesn’t take long before things go off the rails. What starts with little annoyances turns into jealousy, and before you know it, it’s personal. These situations create a lot of humour but also walk you through the painful experience of living with a person you do not like.

Next in line is Thrash, which no one’s pretending is high art. Hurricane, flooding, sharks in the streets… You know exactly what you’re getting. But that’s the point, isn’t it? Another survival thriller making it to the charts of Netflix after Apex shows that people are indeed in the mood for adventure.

And then Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill, which is doing numbers for completely different reasons. A real story: Michael Barisone, Lauren Kanarek, and the whole situation that escalated into a shooting. These Untold documentaries always seem to do well on Netflix, and this one’s no different. People love digging into what actually happened, piecing it together themselves.

After that, the list starts to spread out a bit more. KPop Demon Hunters has officially been in the charts for 45 weeks, followed by War Machine, which has completed its eighth week. Speaks volumes about the people who like to watch things on repeat.

Then you’ve got Trust, which has been picking up viewers and was a comeback for Sophie Turner, actually. She plays Brooke, a Hollywood actress who retreats to a remote cabin after a public scandal threatens her career and reputation. She soon realises she’s not alone and someone is watching her with bad intentions. If you are looking for recommendations for a survival thriller, this is it.

The last couple are The Interpreter and Shooter, which technically are older titles but clearly still are getting attention. Political tension and a bit of action: both genres are loved by Netflix viewers, and that’s probably why they’ve found their way back into the top 10.

The 10 most popular movies on Netflix this week

• Apex
• 180
• Roommates
• Thrash
• Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill
• KPop Demon Hunters
• War Machine
• Trust
• The Interpreter
• Shooter