In 1968 a screen adaptation of an Ira Levin novel took the cinematic world by storm. Lauded by theatre goers and critics alike, the William Castle produced Rosemary’s Baby (1968) starring Mia Farrow as the titular Rosemary brought the horror of the 1960s away from gothic castles in foreign lands and into the homes of everyday Americans. Through the lens of a young and paranoid pregnant woman in a New York City brownstone, audiences were introduced to the world of shady satanic cults under the guise of friendly, slightly overbearing next door neighbours. However, before Rosemary there was Terry Gionoffrio and her story is exactly what Apartment 7A concerns itself with.
A prequel to the 1968 occult horror, Apartment 7A, directed by Natalie Erika James, centres on aspiring lead dancer Terry (Julia Garner) who, after an unfortunate accident which leaves her career in tatters and suffering from chronic pain, finds herself jobless and homeless. Sick of couch surfing, she accepts the kind offer of an apartment to stay in from elderly couple Minnie and Roman Castavet (Dianne West and Kevin McNally). Once she moves into the brownstone, and after a harrowing experience with fellow resident Alan Marchand (Jim Sturgess), Terry finds herself not only healing and thriving, but she also discovers an unexpected guest taking up residence with her.
2024 has proved itself to be the year of forced pregnancy horror, with other releases such as Immaculate (2024) and fellow prequel The First Omen (2024), and so the themes of bodily autonomy, choice and religious forced impregnation are hot topics right now, especially due to the current political-social climate surrounding the subject. Whereas the aforementioned films focus intensely on the traditional horror aspect, Apartment 7A explores the economical, social and psychological circumstances that surround the central character and women like her that find themselves in similar circumstances. Out of work due to illness or injury, homeless, the product of an assault or just not wanting to reproduce, there are any number of reasons why a woman may not want to be pregnant yet just like Terry, many find themselves being the centre of the argument of choice, especially when it comes to both the religious communities and those of an older generation, represented by the Castavets and the other cult members.
Despite its thorough exploration of the theme at hand, Apartment 7A fails to set up and create any real tension or the inevitable dread that Rosemary’s Baby is known for. Even though the performances of Garner and West do prove to be a strength for the film, with the lack of atmospheric trepidation, everything just falls a bit flat.
2.5 Screams out of 5
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