Natalie Erika James’ “Condo 7A” is a 1965-set prequel to “Rosemary’s Child” (1968).
It stars Julia Garner as Terry, a dancer whose foot harm has made her undesirable to casting administrators.
Issues appear to show round for her when she is befriended by a pleasant couple, Minnie and Roman Castevet (Dianne Wiest and Kevin McNally). The older couple provides her a room of their high-rise condo, freed from cost. They’re awfully good, these Castevets, particularly once they provide Terry considerate life recommendation and that necklace stuffed with Tanis root…
Look, in the event you’ve seen “Rosemary’s Child,” or any of the handfuls of rip-offs (starting from “The Satan’s Advocate” to “The Astronaut’s Spouse,” each of which star Charlize Theron!) or remakes or any supernatural horror movie of the previous 30-years, you’ll be three steps forward of this film.
It’s that predictable, routine and seen-it-before. Apart from a scene the place a seemingly nice-looking geriatric girl all of a sudden tries to stab Terry, there aren’t any surprises.
I don’t imply to suggest that the film lacks something worthwhile. The 2 lead performances are glorious and the manufacturing design is first charge. “Condo 7A” is competently made and carried out however so overly acquainted, I want it had tried tougher to be much more outrageous, simply to make it stand out.
The angle on Garner’s character is that she’s a dancer, which takes up a lot of the primary act. As grueling as it’s to see her battle by means of agonizing rehearsals, “Black Swan” (2010) did all this much more forcefully and passionately. A second the place a dancer finds her physique painfully contorting from an unseen power solely made me consider the horrifying and improbable “Suspiria” (2018).
Garner provides her all to the function and makes Terry sympathetic, whilst we all the time know precisely what is going to occur to her a number of scenes earlier than it really does. Wiest is great right here, giving the very best efficiency by leaning into the doable double meanings in her traces.
Nonetheless, regardless of how good she is, neither she nor McNally come near matching or topping the vivid, nuanced, and scary turns from Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer from the unique.
“Rosemary’s Child” is like “Psycho” (1960) in that popular culture fixation on it has rendered it iconic but in addition taken among the sting out of its tail. Whereas “Psycho” was brilliantly reimagined within the very good “Bates Motel” (2013-2017) TV collection on A&E, the one really daring twist on “Rosemary’s Child” got here from the unique creator Ira Levin, whose 1997 sequel novel, “Son of Rosemary” is deeply satisfying for being so batty and deliciously pulpy.
Among the finest issues I can say about “Condo 7A” is that, in comparison with the awfully related and really terrible “The First Omen” and “Immaculate” from earlier this yr, that is the one a kind of three I’d be keen to look at once more.
To get proper to the center of the issue right here, “Condo 7A” is so much just like the 2011 prequel/remake of “The Factor,” the place the minor pleasure of watching the dots connecting the 2 movies is undermined by the most important irritation of feature-length déjà vu.
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One other huge drawback are the campy dance sequences.
Whether or not it’s the Broadway musicals in rehearsal or a goofy dream sequence or the dopey, apparent ultimate scene, the dance scenes listed here are foolish sufficient to advantage inclusion in “Stayin’ Alive” (1983) and its infamous “Devil’s Alley” finale.
James’ prior movie “Relic,” a few mom and daughter scuffling with the vulnerability of an ailing grandmother, was the most effective movies of 2020. It’s terrifying, however deeply compassionate about caring for somebody you like and watching them endure the cruelty of growing old.
The ultimate scene of that movie, which moved me to tears, has by no means left me.
Then again, the ultimate scenes of “Condo 7A” are about positioning this with “Rosemary’s Child” and setting issues as much as set up this as a real prelude, however they needn’t have bothered. James is an effective director however right here, she’s like an amazing standup comedian struggling to garner laughs from a dusty joke e-book.
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I hope her subsequent movie, whether or not it’s within the horror style or not, permits her to work with authentic materials, as “Relic” is really certainly one of a form.
One among my favourite moments within the 1968 “Rosemary’s Child” isn’t addressed right here: early on, Rosemary is visiting the Castevets and notices a spot of blood on their rugs, which is cheerfully cleaned up and remarked as nothing to fret about.
It’s a humorous second, permitting some foreshadowing however performed with a refined, darkly comedian contact. Oddly sufficient, it’s by no means reenacted right here. I suppose I’ll by no means know whose blood that was.
One and a Half Stars
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