In 1968, Rosemary’s Baby was born. The film from director Roman Polanski has gone down in history as being one of the best horror movies ever made. Over the years Rosemary’s Baby has also been lauded as a fantastic example of pregnancy horror. Whilst both of these statements are true, that the film was created by the very problematic Polanski has somewhat tainted the piece. Thankfully new film Apartment 7A has arrived to offer audiences a story within the same world as Rosemary’s Baby, just without the controversial creator.
Set before the events of Rosemary’s Baby, Apartment 7A joins struggling dancer Terry (Julia Garner) on the precipice of fame. One of several dancers in a high profile show, all of Terry’s dreams are about to come true, but then she fails to stick the landing to a jump and severely injures her ankle. Time then jumps forward several months at which juncture Terry has mostly recovered, but is finding it impossible to find work. Having overstayed her welcome with friends, she is on the verge of being ruined, but then she crosses paths with Minnie (Dianne Wiest) and Roman (Kevin McNally), an over friendly elderly couple. Seeing that Terry is in great strife, the couple pluck her out of her flatshare and into an apartment owned by them within the lavish Bramford building. Once relocated, Terry finds her life has become too good to be true, but at what cost?
For years, male voices have been writing and directing films about the maternal experience, and as entertaining as some of them are, it is the recent swathe of female-identifying creators that have truly nailed issues around motherhood. Apartment 7A is another glowing example as Natalie Eirka James explores a very different type of pregnancy to that seen with Rosemary. Whereas Rosemary wants nothing more than to become a mother, Terry has different views. Upon discovering her pregnancy, she is not elated, viewing the future child as an end to her own career and dreams. This unease with the news is a far more authentic reaction than that seen in some other media; Apartment 7A does at least briefly talk about other options. Given the current climate in America, this new avenue is sure to cause debate whilst at the same time signposting how far backwards certain decisions have taken modern society.
Interestingly, the pregnancy itself is as much the focus here as it was in its predecessor. This is another welcome shift as women don’t immediately lose their identity while pregnant, which is a common misconception that legions of films have helped to perpetuate. Julia Garner does excellent work at portraying the inner workings of Terry. Following in the footsteps of Mia Farrow must have been a daunting prospect, but she handles her role beautifully. Terry is an almost polar opposite to Rosemary, which certainly helps create a distance from that performance. Garner’s work is worthy of high accolade as she has the audience believing her at every turn. It’s not easy to hold the attention of audiences in this day and age, but Garner’s performance screams out and grabs the viewer’s attention.
The young actor has stunning support from the formidable Dianne Wiest who manages a respectful homage to the performance of the late Ruth Gordon. Wiest is an actor who has consistently been fantastic in everything she has ever made, and Apartment 7A is no exception. She captures the over zealous energy of Minnie, playing her as equal parts cheery and creepy, leaving just enough space to cause both the viewer and Terry to question whether they are reading too much into the character. Is she just a harmless and lonely old woman? Also providing solid support is Kevin McNally as Minie’s husband, Roman. This character is perhaps seen slightly less than in the original, but McNally still sells the part.
The final cast member in need of a mention is Jim Sturgess, who appears as Alan Marchand, a fellow resident at Bramford who also happens to have a new show that Terry could be perfect for, given the right conditions. Sturgess gets little screen time, but makes the most of every opportunity he has. An early scene set inside his apartment between him and Terry is one of the highlights of the film as he projects sleaze, seduction, and sinister all at once, confusing and intoxicating the viewer right alongside Terry.
What Natalie Erika James earns the most praise for with Apartment 7A however, is in the attention to detail that has been put in to ensure a near seamless transition into Rosemary’s Baby. The sets look like the originals, and the production and costume design are authentic to the time period. Polanski’s original film was a contemporary story upon release, but this one has to try and become a period piece, and the team have pulled it off beautifully. Similarly, the story beats found within Apartment 7A mirror the original, but importantly, deviate from them at almost every turn to ensure that there are some surprises even for the devout fan of the original.
As with most prequels, Apartment 7A doesn’t fully justify its creation – so few ever do – but the return stay at the Bramford has plenty of fun moments to entertain and enthral. The carnage present feels more aggressive than in the original and the squeamish might struggle at times as James isn’t shy about presenting injury detail in all its bone crunching glory. James is careful to never veer too close to going over the top though, and keeps these moments menacing and unpleasant rather than silly and comedic. A fine extension to the lore, James’ prequel is a fun return to Bramford, and whilst not entirely needed, it’s great to see another example of a woman getting to tell a story about the female experience.
Apartment 7A
Summary
All in all Apartment 7A is a fine expansion to the Rosemary’s Baby lore, complete with some brilliantly dedicated performances.
Apartment 7A was reviewed at Fantastic Fest 2024. Apartment 7A is streaming exclusively on Paramount+ and available for purchase on Digital beginning Friday, September 27 2024.
