When we think of essential horror films from the ’60s, Rosemary’s Baby automatically comes to mind. This tale of a young woman who discovers that her husband and neighbors have conspired to impregnate her with the Anti-Christ shook audiences to their core in 1968. A breathless descent into paranoia and gaslighting, it spawned an entire sub-genre of pregnancy horror still going strong today. So, when a prequel, Apartment 7A, was announced, fans were understandably skeptical. How could it possibly measure up to an indisputable classic?
Well, despite mixed reviews, Apartment 7A found a good handful of supporters, including none other than Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund.
What’s Apartment 7A About?
Directed by Natalie Erika James (Relic), Apartment 7A runs concurrently to the timeline of Rosemary’s Baby, set in the same building as the events of the 1968 film. We meet a struggling young dancer, Terry (Julia Garner), who has just suffered a career-disrupting injury. Down on her luck, she encounters Roman (Kevin McNally) and Minnie (Dianne Wiest) Castevet. A well-connected older couple, they offer Terry a room to stay in and promise to help get her career back on track. They fulfill that promise by getting her a meeting with successful director Alan Marchand (Jim Sturgess). But what starts as a casual introduction quickly becomes something else, and Terry awakens, realizing that she has been drugged and sexually assaulted. Making matters worse, she’s now pregnant. And not with any ordinary child.
A Harrowing Tale About the Terror of an Unwanted Pregnancy
Horror icon Robert Englund recently sat down with Dread Central’s own Josh Korngut to discuss his A Nightmare on Elm Street career. When asked about newer films in the genre that he has enjoyed, the actor gave a surprising answer. “Apartment 7A is great too. It takes a bit of dialogue from Rosemary’s Baby and spins it into this fascinating prequel. I’ve been telling people to watch them back-to-back — Apartment 7A and then Rosemary’s Baby. They go together beautifully.”
Critics may not have agreed—Apartment 7A has a 45% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes—but Dread sides with Robert. In her review, former Dread Central Editor-in-Chief Mary Beth McAndrews dubbed the film “a beautiful and harrowing reclamation of the past.”
Though it may carry a bit of that direct-to-streaming vibe—it released straight to Paramount+—James’ prequel shrugs off any limitations like a heavy coat. As she did with Relic, James propels the viewer into an atmospheric world of creeping dread. This time, it isn’t just the neighbors who are unnerving, but the nightmarish visions that plague Terry at every turn. Polanski’s original homes in on the terrors of pregnancy itself, but James is more interested in navigating the horror of being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term, with a suspected creep of a father who wields power over Terry’s career.
And that’s the stark difference between the two films that makes them such a fascinating pairing. Both take place around the same time. Both follow relatively similar stories. Yet each reflects different attitudes towards pregnancy, with contrasting responses from the women at the center of the tales. Whereas Rosemary (Mia Farrow) eventually accepted her fate, well, let’s just say Terry remains defiant and fights the whole way through. Garner has the unenviable task of stepping into Farrow’s shoes, but she does so masterfully, delivering a cheer-worthy performance that leads to an unforgettable ending.
So, if you still haven’t experienced Apartment 7A, listen to Robert Englund and stream it now on Paramount+. Remember to pair it with Rosemary’s Baby for an intriguing look at similar stories from quite different perspectives.
Categorized: News
