'Apartment 7A' review: Lackluster ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ prequel misses the mark
Courtesy of Paramount+
Earlier this year, audiences were introduced to “The First Omen,” a prequel to an iconic film that, as is often the case, few were actually clamoring for. Yet in today's streaming landscape, studios are eager to exploit any established intellectual property, often at the expense of brand integrity. “The First Omen,” originally a Hulu release, was granted a theatrical bid following promising test screenings, and it’s easy to see why: it had vision, flair, and a creative inventiveness that made unraveling Damien’s backstory thrilling. Few horror films within a franchise can flex such artistic muscles—it was an exception to the rule.
Enter “Apartment 7A,” a prequel to the landmark horror film “Rosemary's Baby,” which fails to justify its existence. As a straight-to-streaming clunker, it raises the question of why anyone would bother watching it, including the studio executives who greenlit the project.
While “The First Omen” featured authentic locations, “Apartment 7A” feels like it was designed for the small screen, with a shaky soundstage standing in for 1965 New York City. There are fleeting moments when it attempts to break free from its budgetary constraints, but too often it retreats to an artificial, glossy aesthetic that’s poorly lit and rarely engaging.
Julia Garner plays Terry Gionoffrio, a character only briefly mentioned in the original. She is a struggling Broadway dancer trying to rehabilitate her image after a devastating foot injury. The Castevets (Dianne Wiest and Kevin McNally, stepping in for Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer) take her in, treating her like family and offering a rent-free place in their lavish building. However, we already know the Castevets have ulterior motives: they are devil worshippers with plans to undermine God, and they need able-bodied young women for their sinister agenda.
Director and co-writer Natalie Erika James, along with screenwriters Christian White and Skylar James, explores the notion that success often requires a sacrifice of one’s soul. One aspect where “Apartment 7A” makes some strides is in its exploration of abortion during a time when it was rarely discussed openly. Yet it never quite captures the isolation that a stay-at-home mother faced, nor the disorienting effects of being gaslit by a male-dominated society, as its predecessor did so masterfully.
This raises a crucial question: if you’re attempting to dwell in the shadow of Roman Polanski’s 1968 classic, you’d better have the substance to back it up. The claustrophobic tale of a woman bearing the spawn of Satan was a lightning-in-a-bottle sensation that even earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. It’s almost absurd that Hollywood would attempt to revisit it. Garner and Wiest do their best to elevate a film that drags along without genuine tension or scares, and given the predictable outcome, there’s little room for surprises. “Apartment 7A” is yet another example of the streaming IP revolution that elicits eye-rolls until the next cynical cash grab appears on the horizon.
Grade: C-
APARTMENT 7A streams on Paramount+ Friday, September 27th