Natalie Erika James ‘ “ Apartment 7A ” is at once a prequel to “Rosemary’s Baby” — the book by Ira Levin and the film by Roman Polanski — and the latest entry in Hollywood’s new wave of pregnancy horror, born in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s 2022 repealing. Other examples from this year include “Immaculate” and “The First Omen” (the latter also being a prequel), but James’ mostly-solid film more succinctly captures the anxieties of the current moment.
The movie is largely entertaining, despite being pulled constantly in two directions: as a predecessor to an iconic work and as a distinct beast, with its own gripes against patriarchal norms. Set in the mid-1960s, it follows struggling stage actor Terry Gionoffrio ( Julia Garner ), a minor role previously played by Angela Dorian in Polanski’s film, and it details how she came to live in Bramford, the wealthy New York apartment building where “Rosemary’s Baby” is set. It also functions as something of a remake, following many of the same beats as the original, albeit with one major difference.
The 1968 movie saw Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) — who was already trying to conceive — become pregnant with Satan’s spawn, while her actor husband Guy (John Cassavetes) received professional success in return. However, this new, fleshed-out version of Terry combines their stories, framing her as an up-and-comer whose pregnancy puts her Broadway spotlight at risk, but someone tempted with the promi.