APARTMENT 7A (2024) – Classy homage to a horror classic
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
This movie is supposed to be a prequel to the now classic 1968 horror movie Rosemary’s Baby. It cleverly ties into the original movie by having as its main character, Terry, an aspiring dancer, who was referenced in the original movie. This is her background story which has similarities to Rosemary’s Baby with its theme involving Satanic worship and the attempt to conceive the antichrist. As with so many new movies today that tries to ride their successful predecessors (eg The First Omen), Apartment 7A runs the risk of ending up being yet another Hollywood remake and reboot disguised as an original sequel. The track record has proven that most prequels, sequels, and reboots tend to be lackluster but thankfully, this new movie under the able hands of its director and writer Natalie Erika James is far from that.
This is obvious right from the opening scene where we are introduced to Terry Gionoffrio (Julia Garner) as she performs a stage musical number. The whole look and feel of the movie simply captivates the audience and transports you to the 1960’s era. The movie moves along in an unhurried pace without resorting to any cheap scare tactics but yet, always conjuring up an atmosphere of anticipated dread. The film also benefits from an excellent cast with an engaging performance from Julia Garner. She is supported by very interesting characters and a cast that includes familiar faces like Jim Strugess and Dianne Wiest. The film’s settings which were mostly confined to the apartment building and theatre settings were also lushed with details. The few dance sequences were also very well choreographed. In contrast, the details of the demon and satanic rites were more extract. I recognise this as a deliberate strategy to convey the horror without the over reliance on the visuals but rather more on mood and plot driven. Perhaps the film’s main handicap is in the foregone conclusion providing an ending that is far from riveting.
Horror fans who expect lots of blood and graphic gore will be sorely disappointed. This is more old-school and takes on a more antiquated approach. It comes across looking like something that could have very well been made in the 1960’s! Apartment 7A is a classy tribute to the original and comes across as an entertaining watch making it another worthy addition for this spooky Halloween season.