Two weeks after Netflix released the new APEX movie, the Charlize Theron action flick is going viral on TikTok. And itâs all thanks to Taron Egertonâs psychotic little dance to the 2015 single âGo,â by the British electronica duo The Chemical Brothers.
Directed by Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar KormĂĄkur, with a screenplay written by Jeremy Robbins, APEX stars Theron as Sasha, an experienced climber grieving the death of her husband (played by Eric Bana). She embarks on a solo hiking-and-kayaking trip in the Australian wilderness, where she meets a friendly local (Egerton) who offers her travel tips. But when she follows the route he suggests, she quickly realizes he isnât friendly at all. Heâs a deranged serial killer, and he wants to hunt the most dangerous game: her.
In the pivotal scene the movie where Benâs true intentions are revealed, he informs Sasha that has until the end of the song he blastsââGoâ by the Chemical Brothersâto get as far away from him as possible. After the song, heâs coming after her. âWhatâs the matter?â Ben asked, in response to Sashaâs complete shock and terror. âI thought you liked danger?â
Sasha takes off running, and true to his word, Ben waitâs until the end of the song to pursue her. And in the meantime, he grooves to the beat of the music, with a truly deranged look on his face. He also lets out a strangled bird cryââCAW!âârevealing it was him that Sasha heard on that night that her bag of supplies was stolen.
Itâs no doubt a fun scene to watch, made even more fun by the perfect choice of songâa little immature, a little aggressive, and a little menacing, just like Ben. In an interview with Decider, APEX director Baltasar KormĂĄkur revealed the song was a suggestion from Egerton himself.
â[We got] all kinds of ideas of songs. I didnât want a disco song or something like that,â KormĂĄkur told Decider. âTaron brought this song by the Chemical Brothers, and I was like, âThatâs perfect.â Not everyone was of that mind, in the beginning. There was a lot of, âOh no, no, no, itâs not the right song.â I said, weâre doing this, and then we can do another version if we feel like itâs that doesnât workâtry another song. Then Taron did [the scene] and the whole crew and everyone involved was like, âThatâs it. Itâs perfect.â They could see it. It worked.â
It worked so well, in fact, that itâs inspired a new trend on TikTok.
People are filming themselves vibing out to âGoâ by The Chemical Brothers, cawing like a deranged bird, or simply lip-syncing along to Egertonâs dialogue on in the scene.
The meme seems most popular among stressed-out parents, who use the dialogue from the film to inform their terrified children that they have until the end of the song to âget as far away from me as you can.â
But it can also be used as inspiration for spring cleaningâŠ
âŠgrooving and eating beef jerkyâŠ
âŠor shooting your shot with Taron Egerton. Can you blame her? He might be a serial killer with filed fangs in this movie, but the body is tea!
The meme is no doubt giving APEX a boost in the charts on Netflix, where itâs been trending in the Top 10 since itâs release.
Itâs also a big bump for The Chemicals Brotherâs 10-year-old song, which saw an over 400 percent streaming surge since APEXâs release, according to a report from Billboard. The song is at No.5 on Billboardâs Dance Digital Song Sales chart right now. Everybody come along for the ride!
