‘Apartment 7A’ Review – The Lights Are On But No One Is Home In ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ Prequel

In a year that has seen several films tackle the challenge of pregnancy with a horror twist, Apartment 7A comes along. The film is a prequel to the 1968 horror classic Rosemary’s Baby. The film’s main challenge is its predictability, which, despite attempts to construct subversion, feels like a retread. The meandering nature of the story feels like a long windup to what we ultimately expect to be the case. It’s a well-crafted but sadly unnecessary prequel that leaves you wishing you had watched the original film.

The film opens with Terry Gionoffrio (Julia Garner), an aspiring dancer in 1965’s New York City, injuring herself amid a performance. Down on her luck, The Castevets, an older couple who live in the luxurious Bramford apartment building, offer to take her in as their guest. There, Terry begins renting a spare room and finds their generosity inspiring. However, when things start to go her way, Terry uncovers dark forces at work and realizes her generous hosts will do anything to help her succeed.

Terry finds all her dreams coming true—a lead role on Broadway and lavish gifts. Her life is glittering, but as is often the case, all the glitter is not gold. She begins to recall memories of a traumatic, ritualistic event at which she is center stage. Ultimately, she learns she is pregnant, and her world surrounds her to an almost suffocating end. The miraculous cause of her pregnancy is the work of a Satanic Cult led by her too-nice-to-be-real hosts.

The challenge for a film of this kind is much of what we know is bookended by events in another movie. There are few trapdoors to lead us into unusual surprises. Much of the storyline drags on, ultimately leading somewhere we have been before, and while we may or may not feel cheated, we do feel bored. Apartment 7A uses the character of Terry from the original movie to explain the story behind her life and how she ultimately dies in the first film’s events.

Prequels of this nature often capitalize on the storied legacies of bigger and better films, but that does not diminish this film’s retro design and commanding performances. Yet, Apartment 7A struggles to outrun the shadow of its larger-than-life predecessor. The scope limits it, and sometimes it wishes to tell a different story than the parameters dictated by a prequel.

Still, the performances are enough to pass at least our time at the Bramford. Garner is sensational in the film. She plays a character desperate for her big break, willing to take the help of strangers to achieve her ambitions. However, early in the story, she shows that there are certain lines she will not cross. Humiliation and objectification are beneath her. This resolve early on plays thematically to shocking results when the film reaches its pivotal climax.

In addition, The Castevets, Minnie, and Roman (played by Dianne Wiest and Kevin McNally), are delightfully terrifying characters in their own right. The actors do more than serve as stand-ins for the original performances (Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer in Rosemary’s Baby). They bring a sense of warmth that is both creepy and oddly sincere. Beguiling smiles mask their demonic worship. They are, at times, hilarious and deeply unsettling.  

There is a subtext to this film. Other horror films this year tackle the subject of unexpected pregnancies. Given that we saw a prequel to The Omen, it seems only natural for a companion piece for Rosemary’s Baby to be next in line. Much of what has been said in The First Omen or even Immaculate feels repetitive in Apartment 7A. Those expecting a fresh take or revealing insights into Rosemary’s Baby will be disappointed by a flashy but stale successor.  

A woman carrying a child to please Satan is far from fertile ground in the horror landscape. The challenge for Apartment 7A is its little offerings. What results is a visually appealing film with top-notch performance, but nothing else. There might as well be a vacancy sign in the window because this apartment has nothing new.

Apartment 7A is currently available to stream exclusively on Paramount+. The film is also available to purchase on Digital platforms.