I rewrote the article for you. Here it is:
“Apartment 7A is an unnecessary prequel that fails to recapture the unsettling magic of its parent film.”
Pros
• Julia Garner’s earnest, captivating lead performance
• A few inspired stylistic detours and frightening images
Cons
• Incongruously sharp editing throughout
• An overly serious tone
• A plot that often feels like a rehash
The only things separating an inspired prequel from a foolish one are a strong idea and a strong artistic perspective. Apartment 7A doesn’t have either. It’s a prequel centered around a minor character from 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby, Terry Gionoffrio (Ozark star Julia Garner), whose fate is explicitly spelled out in that film’s first act.
One of the most iconic American horror films of all time, Rosemary’s Baby isn’t “scary” per se — not in the modern or most straightforward sense of the word. It has little to no jump scares and only a few truly frightening images, most of which come during the same midpoint, hallucinatory sequence. Its horrors linger beyond the edges of its frames — hidden within the smiles of its heroine’s pushy neighbors, the shadows of its New York apartment building, and behind literal veils.
Apartment 7A, conversely, can’t help but show its hand. It is a prequel comprised of static shots and sharp cuts that prevent it from ever recreating the dreamlike hold of its classic predecessor. It is even more literal and absurd, and yet it lacks Rosemary Baby‘s macabre sense of humor. Apartment 7A, in other words, misses the mark by missing the point.
When Apartment 7A begins, Garner’s Terry is a New York City dancer with dreams of one day seeing her name up in lights. The film, set in 1965, wastes no time dashing her dreams. Its prologue swiftly ends with Terry injuring her ankle so badly that dancing becomes a physically painful endeavor. This twist of fate sends Terry down a spiral of denial and drugs that ends with her being picked up off the sidewalk by Minnie (Dianne Wiest) and Roman Castevet (Kevin McNally), a seemingly kindly older couple.
What seems at first like a welcome stroke of luck starts to feel dangerous after a one-on-one night with Alan (a wasted Jim Sturgess) leaves Terry with bruises on her body and increasingly demonic visions. Minnie and Roman’s generosity, in turn, morphs into something more nefarious, and it isn’t long before Terry has grown both afraid and suspicious of her neighbor’s secret (but not particularly well-hidden) plans for her. Those who have seen Rosemary’s Baby will know all along what’s really going on within the walls of the Bramford, Apartment 7A‘s labyrinthine central building, and the prequel doesn’t do anything to offset the predictability of its plot.
Director Natalie Erika James and her co-writers, Christian White and Skylar James, make the mistake of overemphasizing the malevolence of the Bramford’s residents in a way that Rosemary’s Baby pointedly doesn’t until its third act. Only Garner, as talented a young actress as we have right now, manages to step out from the shadow of Rosemary’s Baby and offer something new and worthwhile. Her Terry is more blunt and desperate than Mia Farrow’s Rosemary, and Garner does her best to play Apartment 7A‘s drama as earnestly and realistically as she can.
Apartment 7A may still stumble upon ideas that feel both distinctly tied to those at the heart of its greater franchise and unique to it. In its parent film, Farrow’s Rosemary is a woman who believes that those around her actually see her as a human being. It’s only at the end that she discovers they view her and her body as means to their own ends, and it’s thanks to the unvarnished beauty of Farrow’s performance that we feel simultaneous horror and heartbreak for her. Apartment 7A, meanwhile, uses Terry’s career as a vessel to explore how the professional dreams of women have long been seen and used by those in power — mostly men — as bargaining chips or opportunities to exploit them.
Apartment 7A may not be a total misfire, but it falls woefully short of expectations. It is a reminder that some stories are better left untold, at least not in the absence of a compelling creative vision. As it stands, Apartment 7A lacks the nuance and quiet horror that made Rosemary’s Baby a timeless classic. It is a poorly constructed prequel that prioritizes style over substance.
Conclusions:
* The article concludes that Apartment 7A is a poor prequel that fails to capture the essence of the original film.
* Julia Garner’s performance is praised as one of the highlights of the film.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Why did you feel that Apartment 7A is a poor prequel?
A: I believed that the film lacked the nuance and quiet horror that made Rosemary’s Baby a timeless classic.
Q: What were your thoughts on Julia Garner’s performance?
A: Julia Garner’s performance was praised as one of the highlights of the film. Her portrayal of Terry was energetic and captivating, making it easy to sympathize with her character’s struggles.
Please note that the text may not be identical due to the complexity of rewrites.