Apartment 7A

Apartment 7A
Release poster
Directed by	Natalie Erika James
Screenplay by	Natalie Erika James Christian White Skylar James
Story by	Skylar James
Based on	Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Produced by	John Krasinski Allyson Seeger Michael Bay Andrew Form Brad Fuller
Starring	Julia Garner Dianne Wiest Jim Sturgess Kevin McNally
Cinematography	Arnau Valls Colomer
Edited by	Andy Canny
Music by	Adam Price Peter Gregson
Production companies	Paramount Players Platinum Dunes Sunday Night Productions
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	September 20, 2024 (2024-09-20) (Fantastic Fest) September 27, 2024 (2024-09-27) (United States)
Running time	104 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English

Apartment 7A is a 2024 American psychological horror^[2] film directed by Natalie Erika James from a screenplay she co-wrote with Christian White and Skylar James. It serves as a prequel to Rosemary's Baby (1968). Julia Garner, Dianne Wiest, Jim Sturgess, and Kevin McNally star.

Apartment 7A had its premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 20, 2024, before being released simultaneously on Paramount+ and on digital video on demand on September 27.

Plot

New York City dancer Terry Gionoffrio sustains a serious ankle injury mid-performance in a Broadway production. She becomes known as "the girl who fell" and unsuccessfully auditions for dancing parts. She follows Broadway producer Alan Marchand home to the Bramford apartment building and becomes sick from her anti-pain medication. She is befriended by elderly Bramford residents Minnie and Roman Castevet, who offer her an apartment rent-free. Unpacking, she comes across a ballet slipper labeled Joan Cebulski.

The Castevets invite her for cocktails at Alan's apartment, but she discovers the Castevets have cried off and she is the only guest. She has a drink and becomes disoriented. After a frightening dream, she wakes in bed in Marchand's apartment. He implies they had sex and says she made the chorus for his show.

Another neighbor, Lily Gardenia, gives Terry a salve for her ankle, and she has another frightening dream, but in the morning her ankle is markedly better. The Castevets give her a talisman necklace for Christmas.

She visits obstetrician neighbor Dr. Sapirstein and discovers she is pregnant. The Castevets persuade Terry to give them the baby while she focuses on her career. Terry is cast in the lead role after her rival suffers a twisted ankle.

Lily attacks Terry in the night, saying she "has to end it", then has a heart attack. The next day, the Castevets tell her Lily is in a coma.

Terry discovers a secret passageway into Lily's apartment and finds a grimoire containing images of her talisman and a chained woman giving birth to a demon. She steals it.

Experiencing pain, Terry calls Dr. Sapirstein. He tells her to pack a bag and come in, as she may be experiencing perinatal hysteria and should be admitted for the protection of herself and the baby.

Terry flees, leaving the talisman. Finding Joan Cebulski's name in an old Playbill, she visits the theater; the manager says Joan left six months earlier, promising to retrieve her belongings the next day. In Joan's suitcase, Terry finds a rosary and a Bible with Revelation 12:9 underlined. A nun reveals that Joan had been subjected to "ungodly things", and was being chased when she ran into an oncoming bus, killing her.

At a back-alley abortionist, Terry involuntarily kicks the abortionist, who has a seizure. Terry says she must deal with the pregnancy alone.

At the Bramford, Terry finds a temple with ritual tools in a sub-basement. Alan taunts her, saying this is where she was impregnated. She stabs him with an athame. A horned figure appears. She flees to her apartment and tries to stab herself in the stomach but falls to the floor, writhing in pain. Roman tells Terry her son will be Satan's heir and change the world. He and Minnie take her to a group, who welcome her. Minnie replaces the talisman around Terry's neck, and Roman declares God dead and 1965 to be year one. He raises a toast to Satan, which Terry joins. She dances to the window and throws herself out to her death.

As Minnie and Roman approach the crime scene, they see Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse being interviewed by police.^[a]

Cast

• Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio,^[3] an ambitious dancer who moves into the Bramford apartment^[b]
• Dianne Wiest as Minnie Castevet,^[4] Terry's nosy neighbor^[c]
• Jim Sturgess as Alan Marchand,^[5] a Broadway producer who casts Terry in his show
• Kevin McNally as Roman Castevet,^[6] Minnie's husband^[d]
• Marli Siu as Annie Leung,^[7] Terry's friend
• Andrew Buchan as Leo Watts,^[8] a Broadway director
• Rosy McEwen as Vera Clarke,^[9] Terry's rival and a dancer
• Tina Gray as Mrs. Gardenia, Terry's neighbor and a New York state judge
• Patrick Lyster as Dr. Sapirstein, Terry's neighbor and obstetrician^[e]
• Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as BJ,^[8] a theater manager
• Patricia Jones as Sister Claire, a nun

In addition, Amy Leeson and Scott Hume appear as married couples Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, respectively.^[f]

Production

Development

In 2008, a remake of Rosemary's Baby (1968) was in development from producers Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller.^[10] It fell through later that year.^[11][12]

In March 2021, it was reported Natalie Erika James would direct the psychological thriller film Apartment 7A. James co-wrote the screenplay with Christian White, based on a previous draft of the script written by Skylar James. John Krasinski, Allyson Seeger, Bay, Form and Fuller produced the film, which was a joint-venture production between Paramount Players, Sunday Night Productions, and Platinum Dunes. Following the success of the A Quiet Place franchise, the project was among several scripts that the studio was developing with a similar tone. Apartment 7A was chosen from those projects to quickly enter pre-production.^[13]

Casting

In January 2022, Julia Garner was revealed to be starring in the leading role.^[3] In March, Dianne Wiest joined the cast.^[4] By the time filming had ended, additional casting announcements included Marli Siu,^[7] Rosy McEwen,^[9] Jim Sturgess, Kevin McNally, Andrew Buchan and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.^[8]

Filming

Principal photography began in London on March 15, 2022.^[14] On June 4, it was announced that filming had wrapped.^[15][7] Later that month, Bloody Disgusting reported that the film was secretly a prequel to Rosemary's Baby, the film adaptation of Ira Levin's eponymous 1967 novel.^[16][17] In August, the Writers Guild of America determined the film's final writing credits and confirmed it to be based on Levin's novel.^[18] Reshoots took place in April and May 2023.^[19]

Release

Apartment 7A premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 20, 2024,^[20][21] before being simultaneously released in the United States via video-on-demand and on Paramount+ on September 27.^[22] The film was released on DVD separately and as part of a "2 Movie Collection" along with Rosemary's Baby on November 5, 2024.^{[citation needed]}

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 41% of 80 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Apartment 7A is slickly assembled and solidly acted, but the lingering memory of Rosemary's Baby and a predictable prequel template make for a sub(par)lease."^[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 49 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.^[24]

John Anderson of The Wall Street Journal called it "a highly stylish effort at recycling".^[25] Writing for IGN Movies, Katie Rife noted that "although the film’s themes and horror are rote, creative choreography and strong performances from the core cast make it an entertaining watch".^[26] The film was also praised by Robert Englund.^[27]

Notes

1. As depicted in Rosemary's Baby (1968).
2. The character also appears in the 1968 film, where she is portrayed by Angela Dorian.
3. The character also appears in the 1968 film, where she is portrayed by Ruth Gordon.
4. The character also appears in the 1968 film, where he is portrayed by Sidney Blackmer.
5. The character also appears in the 1968 film, where he is portrayed by Ralph Bellamy.
6. The characters also appear in the 1968 film, where they are portrayed by Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes.

References

1. "Apartment 7A (15)". BBFC. July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
2. Gajewski, Ryan (August 29, 2024). "Julia Garner Senses Evil Forces in Trailer for 'Rosemary's Baby' Prequel Film 'Apartment 7A'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
3. Kroll, Justin (January 7, 2022). "Julia Garner To Star in Thriller Apartment 7A For Paramount Players, Sunday Night And Platinum Dunes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
4. Kit, Borys (March 14, 2022). "Dianne Wiest Joins Julia Garner In Psychological Thriller Apartment 7A". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
5. Rodgers, Matt (June 26, 2023). "Julia Garner-headlined horror Apartment 7A is a covert Rosemary's Baby prequel". Flickering Myth. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
6. Poisuo, Pauli (August 28, 2023). "Apartment 7A Cast, Director, Rumors And More Details". Looper. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
7. Miska, Brad (June 9, 2022). "Apartment 7A – Filming Wraps on Relic Director's Next Starring Ozark's Julia Garner!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
8. Complex, Valerie (April 26, 2024). "Julia Garner's 'Rosemary's Baby' Prequel 'Apartment 7A' To Launch In Fall On Paramount+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
9. Jackson, Angelique (March 16, 2023). "CAA Signs 'The Alienist,' 'Apartment 7A' Actor Rosy McEwen (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
10. Kit, Borys (March 12, 2008). "Bay preps 'Rosemary' redo". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
11. "Rosemary's Baby Remake Scrapped". IMDb. December 22, 2008. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
12. Weintraub, Steven (December 21, 2008). "Producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form talk Future Projects". Collider. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
13. Kroll, Justin (March 18, 2021). "Natalie Erika James To Direct Thriller Apartment 7A For Paramount, Sunday Night Productions And Platinum Dunes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
14. "Apartment 7A". Production List. Film & Television Industry Alliance. February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
15. James, Natalie Erika [@natalieejames] (June 4, 2022). "WRAAAAAPPED on APARTMENT 7A. What a ride 🫠🫠🫠". Retrieved June 4, 2022 – via Instagram.
16. Miska, Brad (June 29, 2022). "Rosemary's Baby – Is Paramount's Apartment 7A a Secret Prequel?! [Exclusive]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
17. Davids, Brian (September 28, 2024). "'Apartment 7A' Director Natalie Erika James on the Challenges of Making a 'Rosemary's Baby' Prequel". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
18. "Apartment 7A". Writers Guild of America West. August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
19. "Molly Glinn". The Talent Manager. November 23, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
20. "Apartment 7A". Fantastic Fest. Archived from the original on September 5, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
21. Grobar, Matt (August 15, 2024). "Fantastic Fest Unveils 2024 Lineup Featuring 'Terrifier 3,' 'Apartment 7A,' 'Anora,' 'Never Let Go' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
22. Breznican, Anthony (July 16, 2024). "Rosemary's Baby Prequel Apartment 7A Aims to Raise Hell: A First Look". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
23. "Apartment 7A". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
24. "Apartment 7A". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
25. Anderson, John (September 26, 2024). "'Apartment 7A' Review: A Stylish Satanic Prequel". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
26. Rife, Katie (September 27, 2024). "'Apartment 7A' Review". IGN Movies. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
27. Robert Englund (October 6, 2024). "My Halloween season viewing recommendations: Lucky McKee's MAY, with the brilliant Angela Bettis and Anna Faris (...)". Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024 – via Facebook. Meta Platforms.

External links

• Apartment 7A at IMDb 
• Apartment 7A at AllMovie