Apartment 7A

Apartment 7A, directed by Natalie Erika James, is a prequel to Roman Polanski's horror classic Rosemary's Baby. Co-written by James, Christian White and Skylar James, the film seeks to explore the events leading up to the demonic conspiracy surrounding Rosemary Woodhouse by focusing on Terry Gionoffrio, a minor character in the original film. Terry, played with haunting vulnerability by Julia Garner, is a young dancer whose promising Broadway career is cut short by a traumatic injury. Set in 1965, the film recreates the sinister, oppressive atmosphere of Rosemary's Baby, while incorporating contemporary themes such as bodily autonomy, ambition and the dangers lurking in the pursuit of success.

Julia Garner plays Terry powerfully, bringing a mixture of ambition, desperation and naiveté that makes her journey fascinating. Terry is not just another passive victim; she's a woman struggling to regain control of her life after a devastating fall during a theatrical performance leaves her career in tatters. Injured and struggling to find work, she becomes increasingly dependent on painkillers, and her once-bright dreams of stardom seem to fade. Her performance is full of subtle nuances, using small gestures and expressions to convey the emotional burden her physical and psychological suffering places on her.

Terry's downfall begins when she meets Minnie (played by Dianne Wiest) and Roman Castevet (Kevin McNally), the sinister couple also featured in Rosemary's Baby. The Castevts offer her a free apartment in the same gothic building, the Bramford, where many of the horror scenes in the original film took place. Their seemingly charitable nature soon turns into something far more disturbing. Terry, vulnerable and alone, falls into their clutches, and her life begins to unravel as the film reveals the Castevts' true motivations.

Apartment 7A is part of a broader political and social conversation that makes it urgent and relevant for today's audiences. It comes at a time when the issue of reproductive freedom is fiercely debated, particularly in the U.S., and the film wisely explores the metaphor of bodily control in a way that resonates strongly. Terry's unwanted pregnancy, resulting from a mysterious night with Alan Marchand (played by Jim Sturgess), brings this theme to the fore. The film critiques the systemic control of women's bodies, a theme also central to Rosemary's Baby, but recontextualizes it for a modern audience by acknowledging the ongoing struggle for women's reproductive rights, particularly in post-Roe America. Terry's pregnancy, like Rosemary's before her, is surrounded by manipulation, secrecy and coercion - but Terry's story is distinctly different, rooted in her fierce desire to pursue her career and independence.

One of the film's strengths lies in its atmosphere and visual storytelling. Natalie Erika James excels at creating scenes that are both eerily beautiful and deeply unsettling. The Bramford itself, with its imposing halls, vintage decor and sense of confinement, becomes almost a character in its own right. Production designer Simon Bowles deserves praise for his meticulous recreation of 1960s New York and the eerie, dilapidated grandeur of the Bramford building. Arnau Valls Colomer's cinematography further amplifies the sense of claustrophobia, projecting the apartment building in a palette of muted tones that accentuate the sense of despair and isolation that envelops Terry. It's a setting at once nostalgic and nightmarish, paying homage to Polanski's film while establishing itself as an original backdrop for this story.

Where Apartment 7A stands out is in its use of dance and performance to deepen the horror. Terry is a dancer, and Julia Garner delivers a physically demanding performance that makes her downward spiral all the more poignant. Dance becomes a key visual motif, representing Terry's ambition but also the destruction of her body and her dreams. One of the film's most memorable sequences - an eerie, surreal musical number - serves as a metaphor for Terry's demonic impregnation. In this nightmarish vision, the choreography takes a dark, Busby Berkeley-inspired turn, in which Terry, surrounded by glittering geometric formations of male dancers, is drugged and assaulted by a figure dressed in diabolical sequined garb. It's a haunting mix of style and substance, making the horror more visceral by integrating it with Terry's identity as an artist.

This sequence, along with others, demonstrates Natalie Erika James' ability to infuse the film with unique visual touches while paying homage to Roman Polanski's iconic work. The dreamlike sequences in Apartment 7A reflect the surreal, disorienting tone of Rosemary's Baby without feeling derivative. On the contrary, they add new layers of psychological and body horror, as Terry's sense of self unravels along with her control over her life and body.

However, for all its strengths, Apartment 7A struggles with pacing and predictability, especially for viewers familiar with the original film. The fact that Terry's fate is ultimately linked to the events of Rosemary's Baby means that the film loses some of its suspense as it approaches its conclusion. Those familiar with the original film will anticipate many of the plot twists, which takes some of the tension out of the story. Natalie Erika James does her best to keep the audience's attention through subtle shifts in tone and by focusing on Terry's psychological collapse, but the pre-ordained nature of Terry's ending can only lessen the impact of the final act.

Despite these limitations, Apartment 7A offers a powerful and tragic conclusion in its final moments. Terry, like Rosemary, faces the ultimate betrayal, not only from those around her, but also from her own body. The film ends on a note that is both inevitable and deeply troubling, suggesting that the cycle of exploitation and control is one that women, like Terry and Rosemary, will continue to endure. This sense of confinement is made all the more poignant by the careful exploration of ambition and the price to be paid for success, especially for women in a male-dominated world.

Dianne Wiest stands out as Minnie Castevet, where she captures the character's blend of grandmotherly warmth and malevolent control. Unlike Ruth Gordon's Minnie, Dianne Wiest's performance is more subtle but no less frightening, with an understated menace that makes her interactions with Terry all the more uncomfortable. Kevin McNally's Roman is equally effective, though he plays more of a supporting role, allowing Wiest's Minnie to take center stage. Jim Sturgess delivers an acceptable performance as Broadway producer Alan Marchand, who plays a crucial role in Terry's death, although his character lacks the depth of the Castevet's.

As a prequel, Apartment 7A doesn't completely escape the shadow of Rosemary's Baby, but Natalie Erika James manages to inject enough fresh ideas into the film to make it a worthy companion. Focusing on her protagonist's inner turmoil and bodily autonomy, she offers a thoughtful and, at times, emotionally resonant exploration of the intersection between ambition and control. The film's rich visual style, coupled with Julia Garner's captivating performance, ensures that even when the plot becomes predictable, the journey remains captivating.

Apartment 7A is both a tribute to Rosemary's Baby and a timely commentary on today's struggle for women's control over their own bodies. It's not a perfect film, and it may not reach the heights of its predecessor, but it successfully expands the Bramford story and offers a tale that is both visually arresting and politically relevant. It's a horror film, steeped in the fears and anxieties that continue to shape women's lives today, while remaining rooted in the dark, occult tradition of its 1960s predecessor.

Apartment 7A
Directed by Natalie Erika James
Written by Natalie Erika James, Christian White, Skylar James
Story by Skylar James
Based on Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Produced by John Krasinski, Allyson Seeger, Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller
Starring Julia Garner, Dianne Wiest, Jim Sturgess, Kevin McNally
Cinematography : Arnau Valls Colomer
Edited by Andy Canny
Music by Adam Price
Production companies : Paramount Players, Sunday Night Productions, Platinum Dunes
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates : September 20, 2024 (Fantastic Fest), September 27, 2024 (United States, France)
Running time : 104 minutes

Viewed on September 21, 2024 (press screener obtained at Fantastic Fest 2024)

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