Director Natalie Erika James' film "Apartment 7A" takes you into the nerve-wracking backstory of "Rosemary’s Baby," authored by Ira Levin and visualized by Roman Polanski. The film also rides Hollywood’s latest surge of pregnancy horror, sparked by the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Other films in this newest genre include "Immaculate" and "The First Omen," but "Apartment 7A" more effectively encapsulates the apprehensions of the present moment.
Despite being tethered between being a prequel to an iconic piece and a standalone original with its own critique of patriarchal standards, the film remains in large part captivating. The tale unfolds in the mid-1960s and revolves around the tribulations of stage actor Terry Gionoffrio (Julia Garner), a small character previously enacted by Angela Dorian in Polanski’s movie. It unveils her journey to Bramford, the affluent New York residential complex that serves as the setting for "Rosemary's Baby."
The film narrates the tale of Terry, a rising star, who is forced into motherhood, thereby putting her budding Broadway career at risk. However, she is lured by the promises of celebrity and prosperity-a metaphorical pact with the devil-if she carries her child to term.
The film effectively weaves the chilling tale of a woman forced into motherhood at her professional expense. As the storyline opens, we follow her journey through a crippling accident that momentarily ends her career, leading her to resort to painkillers to ease her suffering. This chapter ends as she is soon taken under the care of the seemingly benevolent Bramford dwellers Roman and Minnie Castevet, played by Kevin McNally and Dianne Wiest.
The tension in the film occasionally fluctuates between unique aspects, like visions of a glitzy Satan symbolizing the appeal of fame, and echoes of existing imagery, like vague nightmares and visions that blend reality and imagination. Notwithstanding, James efficiently maneuvers these limitations that come with delivering a prequel. The fears haunting Terry are drastically explicit, offering Garner an opportunity to artfully bring a minor character to life as a woman overwhelmed by circumstances beyond her control.
The film's strongest asset is Wiest's portrayal of Minnie, with an over the top shrillness that fits perfectly with a meddling neighbor. Her reveal of Minnie's more ominous side provides a fantastically eccentric tonal contrast that's both at odds with the other characters and genuinely unnerving.
However, not all elements of "Apartment 7A" have the same intense effect as Wiest's performance. The film’s aesthetic approach to the Bramford, though engaging, undermines the potential for visual surprise in the end. Nevertheless, as a modern spin on a near 60-year-old tale, "Apartment 7A" makes for a fairly appealing watch.
