Julia Garner and Dianne Wiest star in the Rosemary’s Baby prequel Apartment 7A, premiering at Fantastic Fest 2024!
The most shocking aspect of Apartment 7A Paramount’s hopeful reboot of Rosemary’s Baby is just how clever it is. Director/co-writer Natalie Erika James relies on the slow-burn tension and central performances by stars Julia Garner and Dianne Wiest to create a taunt thriller.
Terry Gionoffrio’s (Garner) dreams of a song and dance career on Broadway are dashed with a single misstep and an injury that hobbles her. The darker aspects of Broadway with the petty, toxic, bullying prey upon Terry, and as all hope is about to be lost… a ray of light. By chance kindly older couple Minnie and Roman Castevet (Wiest and Kevin McNally) take Terry in at her weakest. The dancer’s luck begins to change as Minnie and Roman give her room and board as the adoptive child they never had. Even further Terry begins to see career change for the better, even her injury begins to heal… but at what cost? Terry begins to slowly realize this cost may be even more than she could possibly imagine.
Those who have seen the original classic will know the fate of Terry. That makes no matter as director James creates a film that recontextualizes just enough to make its story purposeful and effectively tense and creepy. There are a few jump scares, but the film is more about the ever-enclosing darkness and dread that one feels when all choices are taken away from you. It would surprise no one who has seen James’ excellent and effective Relicthat in some ways deals with similar themes of female agency and legacy within the confines of a horror story.
The reason to see Apartment 7A is the two lead performances by Garner and Wiest. The duo is on fire here with their slowly rotting relationship. Wiest is almost too perfect casting as Minnie whose saccharine and helpful disposition belies her more sinister nature. The actor is having the time of her life with a gleeful twinkle in her eye as she reveals herself. Garner in an effective echo of what Mia Farrow did in the original conjures up her own play on the callow “victim” troupe. How Garner moves through the film like Farrow is interesting but in an entirely different way. Not as wispy as Farrow but rather unable to move forward and act on the unimaginable until it’s too late.
Much like The First Omen earlier in 2024, Apartment 7A makes the connective storytelling tissue meld in a way that doesn’t feel crass but organic. Like that other horror reboot, Apartment 7A will instantly make an audience seek out Rosemary’s Baby.
Apartment 7A will be released on Paramount+ on September 27th
Julia Garner and Dianne Wiest star in the Rosemary’s Baby prequel Apartment 7A, premiering at Fantastic Fest 2024!
The most shocking aspect of Apartment 7A Paramount’s hopeful reboot of Rosemary’s Baby is just how clever it is. Director/co-writer Natalie Erika James relies on the slow-burn tension and central performances by stars Julia Garner and Dianne Wiest to create a taunt thriller.
Terry Gionoffrio’s (Garner) dreams of a song and dance career on Broadway are dashed with a single misstep and an injury that hobbles her. The darker aspects of Broadway with the petty, toxic, bullying prey upon Terry, and as all hope is about to be lost… a ray of light. By chance kindly older couple Minnie and Roman Castevet (Wiest and Kevin McNally) take Terry in at her weakest. The dancer’s luck begins to change as Minnie and Roman give her room and board as the adoptive child they never had. Even further Terry begins to see career change for the better, even her injury begins to heal… but at what cost? Terry begins to slowly realize this cost may be even more than she could possibly imagine.
Those who have seen the original classic will know the fate of Terry. That makes no matter as director James creates a film that recontextualizes just enough to make its story purposeful and effectively tense and creepy. There are a few jump scares, but the film is more about the ever-enclosing darkness and dread that one feels when all choices are taken away from you. It would surprise no one who has seen James’ excellent and effective Relic that in some ways deals with similar themes of female agency and legacy within the confines of a horror story.
The reason to see Apartment 7A is the two lead performances by Garner and Wiest. The duo is on fire here with their slowly rotting relationship. Wiest is almost too perfect casting as Minnie whose saccharine and helpful disposition belies her more sinister nature. The actor is having the time of her life with a gleeful twinkle in her eye as she reveals herself. Garner in an effective echo of what Mia Farrow did in the original conjures up her own play on the callow “victim” troupe. How Garner moves through the film like Farrow is interesting but in an entirely different way. Not as wispy as Farrow but rather unable to move forward and act on the unimaginable until it’s too late.
Much like The First Omen earlier in 2024, Apartment 7A makes the connective storytelling tissue meld in a way that doesn’t feel crass but organic. Like that other horror reboot, Apartment 7A will instantly make an audience seek out Rosemary’s Baby.
Apartment 7A will be released on Paramount+ on September 27th
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