Title: Apartment 7A
MPA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Director: Natalie Erika James
Starring: Julia Garner, Dianne Wiest, Jim Sturgess, Kevin McNally
Runtime: 1hr 44 mins

What It Is: In 1965, starry-eyed dancer Terry Gionoffrio (Garner) moves to New York City in pursuit of fame and fortune, only to suffer a devastating injury during a performance. Down on her luck, she catches a break when a kind elderly couple offer her a place to stay in apartment 7A, allowing her to focus on her passion. However, Terry’s life takes a dark turn after she is drugged and impregnated. Now, she’s faced with a difficult decision: should she risk her well-being and career to continue with the unwanted pregnancy, or take control of her life by exposing the source of her torment?

What We Think: 

You know the beats, especially if you’ve seen Rosemary’s Baby, and that’s completely fine for a film like this. With familiar storylines, characters, and motives, what makes a movie like this stand out and worth watching?

Thankfully, I have several answers that confirm, yes, you absolutely need to watch this movie! Let’s start with the director: Relic’s Natalie Erika James, who we, as FilmSnobs, are no stranger to. We thoroughly enjoyed her female-fronted surreal horror film that blends the fear of generational trauma with the horror of losing one’s sanity. James is no novice when it comes to crafting an atmosphere of winding horror, setting a narrative around a character’s spiral into madness with unique creativity and a primal eeriness that makes you shiver or grit your teeth. Relic was criminally underrated, and I can’t help but predict that this film will be too.

Yes, we have the familiar beats: the ‘we’re not in Kansas anymore’ vibe, a passionate dream, and dangerous naivety leading a young woman down a fantastical, perilous road. These are inevitable narrative moves that you’ll find in works like Coraline, Belladonna of Sadness, Spirited Away, Alice in Wonderland, Maxxxine, and The Red Shoes (some of my all-time favorites). I’d joyfully group this film with those as it explores these themes in its own wonderful way. This is a disturbing horror movie, yes, but it never crosses the line in exploiting the real horrors, namely the sexual assault that haunts our protagonist throughout the film. It’s depicted in a way that didn’t feel too unbearable or exploitative, creating a well-balanced watch between creepiness and playful surrealism. Many films struggle to find this balance, either relying on shock value or failing to handle violence tastefully. In my opinion, there’s always virtue in balancing these elements, though that’s a whole other conversation.

James frames the storybook narrative with a colorful, musical, spontaneous, and wild style, reflecting the time period and worldview of our protagonist, Terry. We’re treated to artsy, expressionist dance numbers that amplify her highs and lows with vivid colors, painted theater sets, gaudy makeup, and choreography straight out of a 20th-century musical. I went a little feral, not going to lie, as The Red Shoes is one of my favorite films, and if you’re passionate about movies, you need to watch it before this comes out on Paramount+. The stylistic choices aren’t limited to the dreamlike dance numbers—the entire design of the film feels pitch-perfect and full of character. The setting is oddly familiar, with earthy tones and nostalgic warm lighting. The filmmaking and framing alone are a draw, but if that’s not enough, the performances will hook you.

Julia Garner is lovely and powerful as our flawed, relatable lead who will go to almost any length to achieve her dream. In what is an incredibly mature performance, she conveys Terry’s journey from blindly determined dreamer to a retaliatory, pregnant, soon-to-be star, hinting at a possible villainous streak. We see ourselves in Garner and her portrayal of Terry. However, the show is stolen by a near-unrecognizable Dianne Wiest as Minnie Castevet, the vocal half of the elderly couple who take Terry in. Dianne absolutely eats with this performance. If the Oscars were real, I’d love to see her holding that little gold statue. Wiest is fantastic as the deceptively sweet old lady who knows a bit too much about herbs and spells. Her high-pitched, saccharine tone and warm facade are delightfully unsettling. Wiest navigates the role with ease, never outright menacing but always just creepy enough to make you uneasy. Her moments of impatience and bratty outbursts had me cracking up, like a witchy narcissistic parent. If nothing else, watch this movie to see yet another brilliant Wiest performance, rich with charisma and manipulation. Kevin McNally, as her partner Roman Castevet, is far more subtle but just as amusing with his ‘aw-shucks, gee-willikers’ granddad vibe. I also enjoyed the supporting cast, especially Marli Siu as Terry’s sweet best friend, Annie.

If a great cast and fun presentation aren’t enough, let me add an enticing afterthought: yes, this is the official prequel to Rosemary’s Baby. Expect Satanists, nightmares, and the Devil himself. Whether you view this as a follow-up to the iconic 1968 Mia Farrow horror or something standalone, I’m happy to say that this unexpected reboot stands firmly on its own two feet (sorry, Terry).

If I were to improve anything, it would be the dancing. Despite the film’s heavy influence from The Red Shoes and Michael Powell, I wasn’t blown away by the choreography. Whether Terry is meant to be a great dancer or not, I wish the dance scenes had been more intense and dynamic to match the glamor of the era. In films from that time, dancers are sharp, fast, and articulate, whether it’s The Red Shoes, Top Hat, or even West Side Story (1961) or Mary Poppins (1964). That’s my only gripe, but I admire how dance and narrative are intertwined, and I hope to see more callbacks to these art forms in future films.

Our Grade: B+, Exquisite! Brings memorable performances from Garner and Wiest and serves creepy scares encapsulated within beautiful sets that enchant and captivate my sense of enchantment. Apartment 7A, wearing its influences on its sleeve, dedicates and presents those allusions with proper respect and artistic newness; an act that I hope will also inspire and invigorate everyone to go back into history and eat fun old movies up to cherish and admire, as it’s hard to come across those types anymore and the feelings that come about when watching them. I mean, what a feat! Though it’s a B for now for some of its repetitive beats and dancing that could have used some more gumption or reworking to be convincing, this horror flick will nonetheless be a fun rewatch for myself and comes highly recommended to anyone else looking for a bombastic, female-fronted and directed Halloween treat.