‘Apartment 7A’ Is A Beautiful and Harrowing Reclamation of the Past [Fantastic Fest 2024 Review]
Even if you aren’t a diehard horror fan, you’ve almost certainly heard of Roman Polanski’s horror classic Rosemary’s Baby. Despite Polanski’s predatory past, his 1968 film remains a pinnacle of the genre, and for good reason. His take on Satanic cults and religious horror is a masterclass in tension, plus Mia Farrow as Rosemary is a revelation. So naturally, director Natalie Erika James was standing in a large shadow when tackling the new prequel film Apartment 7A. Taking place in the months before the original film, James, with a script she co-wrote with Christian White and Skylar James, crafts a daring piece of mainstream horror that works to be both an homage to genre history while also forging its own path in discussing the tragedy of trying to reclaim your bodily autonomy.
Terry Gionofforio (played beautifully by Julia Garner) is a young woman who’s moved to New York City from her family’s pig slaughterhouse in Nebraska. She dreams to be on Broadway with her name in lights, like any naive, starry-eyed NYC transplant fresh off the plane. But when she breaks her ankle during a live performance, her career is essentially ruined. Becoming dependent on pain pills just to help her walk, Terry begins to spiral as she desperately clings to her dreams.
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And then, she just happens to run into Minnie and Roman Castevet (Diane Wiest and Kevin McNally, respectively) in front of their apartment building, the Bramford. After some rest and a plate of bacon, they offer the despondent dancer a free, furnished apartment with a stellar view. But of course there’s a catch and as Terry makes herself at home at the Bramford, it slowly begins claiming its prey.
Following closely in the footsteps of this year’s stellar The First Omen, Apartment 7A functions as a standalone film if the viewer isn’t acquainted with the original (which is also currently streaming on Paramount+) but also contains plenty of Easter eggs for the diehard fans out there. But most importantly, James wants to craft a narrative that isn’t afraid to directly confront the current cultural climate regarding reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, and the assumptions we impose on bodies, especially those of young femmes. The script pushes past narratives of abusive husbands and takes a wider look at the evils of patriarchal society both inside and outside the walls of the Bramford.
Garner delivers yet another career-defining performance as Terry. Her physicality alone paints a complex picture of a young, single woman who is willing to put it all on the line to be a star. It’s a character we’ve seen and time again in cinema, but here, Garner imbues her character with empathy and confidence, even in the face of male casting directors. She’s anxious yet unwavering in her convictions, which makes her stand out from Farrow’s Rosemary. She’s doing something very different with her performance which is both tragic and cathartic.
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Then there is the deliciously diabolical Dianne Wiest as Minnie Castevet. Wiest, known for playing plenty of likable and sweet mother characters, finally gets to show her devilish side, all while using a disarmingly high voice with a strong New York accent to make her seem like nothing more than an eccentric old woman. But underneath her layers of pink and that voice affectation lies a villain who doesn’t care about a young woman’s life; she just wants power.
While filmed in London and not at the iconic Dakota (where the original was filmed), Apartment 7A’s production (and costume) design is still iconic. This version of the Bramford may not loom as large, but its spacious hallways and labyrinthine apartments still give the building a gothic horror feel. The costume design is impeccable, especially when Terry is on stage, both literally and within her mind.
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The downside here is that the film follows almost too closely in the footsteps of The First Omen. While both are tackling religious horror from different perspectives, both are ultimately crafting narratives about forced pregnancies, which is an unfortunately president topic now more than ever, and harrowing sexual assaults. Yes, we love a legacy sequel directed by a badass woman and Satan is always terrifying (especially with evangelicalism on the rise), but there are so many other stories these directors can tell that aren’t tethered to female biology. This is by no means the fault of the filmmaking team with Apartment 7A, but it may be time to pivot to something new for studios.
Ultimately, Apartment 7A is another example of why giving legacy sequels to promising young female filmmakers is, frankly, the best move for these franchises. James injects a fresh perspective to a stalwart horror film that looms as large as the Bramford over Apartment 7A. While it’s never possible to fully shake off that shadow, James, White, and Skylar James still do an incredible job crafting Terry’s world. Paired with stellar central performances from Garner and Wiest, Apartment 7A stands tall all on its own, making it the perfect film to watch this Halloween season.
Apartment 7A comes to Paramount+ on September 27, 2024.
Summary
Featuring stellar central performances from Julia Garner and Dianne Wiest, Apartment 7A stands tall all on its own, making it the perfect film to watch this Halloween season.
