There are several upcoming horror movies to keep us on the edge of our seats through the spooky season, but not all of them require a trip to the theater. Julia Garner is set to star in Apartment 7A, a prequel to one of the best horror movies of all time — 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby. The movie hits the 2024 movie calendar on September 27 and will be available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. Critics, however, got the opportunity to screen it early and, while their opinions are mixed on the movie overall, they are lauding Dianne Wiest’s performance.
Julia Garner plays Terry Gionoffrio, a side character from Roman Polanski’s original. Apartment 7A takes place one year before the events of Rosemary’s Baby, as Terry, a dancer, is injured on stage and afterward has the opportunity to move into a luxury Bramford apartment with an older couple. Dianne Wiest and Kevin McNally play Minnie and Roman Castevet, and those names might also be familiar to those who have partaken in the classic. Let’s see what critics are saying.
Siddhant Adlakha of Variety finds the movie overall entertaining, though sometimes torn between its pre-ordained tragedy and the flourishes it wants to bring to the universe. Either way, the flick has a card up its sleeve, the critic writes:
The movie’s secret weapon is Wiest, whose approach to Minnie involves a major departure from actor Ruth Gordon. While McNally plays Roman with the same straightforward, personable demeanor as the original’s Sidney Blackmer, Wiest swings for the fences with a cartoonish shrillness that’s initially grating but is also befitting of a nosey neighbor. However, when she reveals more sinister layers to Minnie, her decisions yield a wonderfully loopy tonal disconnect that’s simultaneously at odds with the other actors (and the film at large) as well as deeply unsettling.
Maggie Boccella of Collider is one of many to point out the carbon copy plot between Rosemary’s Baby and this prequel. Boccella calls Dianne Wiest “the only actively enjoyable” aspect of the film. In the critic’s words:
Dianne Weist, on the other hand, is chewing scenery like it’s a four-course meal. It’s one of those roles that it’s a joy to watch actors age into, rather than out of, and she is by far the highlight (and maybe the only actively enjoyable part) of the film. I can’t discern exactly what kind of accent she’s attempting to do — is it New York? Is it Jersey? Who knows! — but anytime someone puts on a voice that sounds exactly like my elderly cousin Carol, I’m all for it. Kevin McNally too, though it’s hard for Weist not to steal every scene she’s in, even the most climactic ones for Terry.
James Mottram of GamesRadar rates it 3 out of 5 stars, saying Apartment 7A recaptures the atmosphere of the 1968 classic if not its originality. Mottram continues:
Director/co-writer Natalie Erika James is a dab hand at eerie flourishes (the sight of Terry’s belly growing is a standout). Garner convinces as the potential demonic patsy, though she’s surpassed by Wiest, who revels in her supremely unsettling role (one peephole shot of her staring intently truly chills). But for all that, there are times when Apartment 7A feels derivative, not least when a rival to Terry suffers a bone-cracking demise that recalls Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake. Boasting big-name producers (John Krasinski, Michael Bay) and scored with '60s hits (notably Be My Baby), it’s a well-crafted film, even if it doesn’t greatly expand upon the original movie.
Sayantan Gayen of CBR gives it a 7 out of 10, saying that the movie gives Terry a depth and personality that Mia Farrow’s Rosemary didn’t have. Despite its lack of originality, Apartment 7A boasts strong performances by Julia Garner and especially Dianne Wiest. More from the critic:
Wiest is easily the scene stealer in every scene that she is in. She can be a nagging old lady who brings food and cuts Terry's hair like a mother in the movie's lighter moments. But her cold conniving stares betray her outward nicety, revealing her to be a calculated, cold-hearted woman during darker scenes. Minnie brings out her devious nature slowly, with Wiest being the only one able to give a standout performance in the prequel's supporting cast.
JP Nunez of 25 Years Later says Apartment 7A eventually starts to feel more like a remake than a prequel, but director Natalie Erika James is up to the task and delivers a movie that’s worth the watch. Like the above critics, Nunez praises Dianne Wiest as the scene-stealer between both actresses’ great performances, writing:
From the moment this woman opens her mouth and you hear that squeaky New York accent, she feels almost exactly like the Minnie Castevet we know and love, but Wiest also gets to add a bit of her own unique touch to the role. There are a couple of brief moments when Minnie lets her sinister side shine through her overly polite veneer, and Wiest totally nails those scenes as well. It’s really a great performance all around, so the one-two punch of her and Julia Garner as Terry is more than enough to make Apartment 7A a fun time.
If this sounds like a movie you want to throw on from the comfort of your own home, Apartment 7A will be available to stream on Paramount+ — one of the best streaming services — on Friday, September 27. In the meantime, if you want to refresh yourself on the happenings of this world, Rosemary’s Baby can be streamed with an Amazon Prime subscription.
