As the 1960s drew to a close, director Roman Polanski‘s theatrical adaptation of Ira Levin’s novel “Rosemary’s Baby” would find immediate success from both the box office and critics alike, eventually finding its way onto many a list of genre-defining horror and inclusion within the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. This now-classic, revolving around the spouse of an NYC-based actor who believes she may very well be carrying the unborn child of Satan after a string of horrific events and the meddling of her bizarre neighbors, served as a launchpad for the career of Mia Farrow as she deftly commanded the title role and would go on to spawn its own offspring in the form of a 1976 sequel and 2014 remake, both made for television. With “Apartment 7A,” this now-franchise hits the Paramount+ world of streaming, again giving its lead a pedestal for an impressive performance with a supporting cast able to hold their own within a film that’s able to do the same, much to its own detriment.
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Terry Gionoffrio (Julia Garner) isn’t at all unlike many a fresh-faced actress desiring to make it in the cutthroat world that is Broadway; with her heart set on fame as a dancer, it’s not long before a devastating injury threatens to derail all that she’s worked so hard to achieve. Despite undergoing a bit of recovery, one failed audition after another seems to be setting the stage for her immediate future. Following misuse of the medication meant to keep the pain at bay, Gionoffrio soon finds herself stumbling, quite literally, into the lives of Minnie and Roman Castevet (Diane Wiest and Kevin McNally), an elderly couple with no children of their own. As luck would have it, a spare apartment recently vacated quite abruptly by its previous tenant.
Taking Gionoffrio under their wing and allowing her to inhabit this dwelling rent-free, this act of kindness soon sees the dancer making the cast following one particularly successful audition, where she catches the eye of theatre mogul Alan (Jim Sturgess) as she simultaneously begins to experience terrifying hallucinations, hearing as well as seeing demonic entities and doing her best to fend off the increasingly intrusive presence of the Castevets. Both come armed with offers to help at any given moment, Batman Begins-esque wisdom not far removed from “Why do we fall, Mr. Wayne?” and a pun or two about getting Gionoffrio back on her feet, in more ways than one.
Yes, this is the same couple from its 1968 now-sequel, and yes, it isn’t long before Gionoffrio learns of a certain impending bundle of non-joy just as she’s elevated to a principal cast member, which, itself, isn’t without its share of mystery when her predecessor succumbs to a horrific injury seemingly out of nowhere-connected, perhaps?
Obviously, it all is, and it’s thanks mainly to Garner’s electrifying performance that this movie rises from the minefield of predictability and sea of tropes familiar to anyone who’s seen the original, or any horror outing, for that matter. As she struggles to understand the events unfolding, probes into the questionable nature of her landlords and how exactly she should best handle the manner of her unborn terror, it’s not at all unlike critical moments from “The Fly” with a healthy dose of tepid practical effect-laden visuals as Gionoffrio begins to lose her grip on the righteous existence she’s always known. As the Castevets, Wiest and McNally couldn’t be more perfectly acceptable, with Wiest’s pea soup-thick New York accent succeeding in a manner befitting of a low-rent Fran Drescher and serving to render the character all the more repulsive as the film accelerates towards its inevitable conclusion.
Luckily, Jim Sturgess continues to solidify his career’s transition into that of a fine character actor, again making the most of a mid-size role; were it not for the concrete that is Julia Garner’s take on the lead, “Apartment 7A” could unquestionably spiral into indistinguishable obscurity, but even amidst cliché after cliché, it still manages to fulfill minimum requirements within the pantheon that is Horror 101.
Separating the art from the disgraced artist that is Roman Polanski finds a mid-20th century landmark film still effective nearly six decades removed, and though director Natalie Erika James‘ prequel does little to justify the need for its own existence, even threatening to remove the impact “Rosemary’s Baby” still holds to this day, were one to view “Apartment 7A” as an inoffensive entry with another notch on the resume of the talent that is Julia Garner, it’s not entirely worth passing over as spooky season begins once more. It deserves a view, though unlike what’s growing within Terry Gionoffrio, it’s likely to leave one’s memory just as quickly as it arrived. [B-]
“Apartment 7A” premieres on Paramount+ on September 27.
