Natalie Portman’s Best Actress-winning horror movie almost got a remake 14 years later in the divisive new Rosemary’s Baby prequel

Warning! This post contains spoilers for Apartment 7A.

In the early days, Rosemary’s babythe introduction, Apartment 7 aAlmost comes off as a remake of a 14-year-old Natalie Portman movie that won her an Academy Award in the Best Actress category. Loosely based on the characters and story beats set by Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s baby and its 1968 movie adaptation, Apartment 7 a Follows the story of a young woman named Terry. Viewers who watched Rosemary’s baby Will remember that Terry was only a minor character in the classic horror film who died in its opening arc.

By making Terry his main character, Apartment 7 a Not only does it resolve some underlying mysteries of Rosemary’s baby But also provides an original take on the story of the 1968 film. Although Apartment 7 a Borrows many story elements from Rosemary’s baby And draws subtle connections to the parent film, it stands on its own as an original movie. Interestingly, however, despite its originality, it is difficult not to notice how it initially seems similar to an acclaimed Natalie Portman horror movie.

The story setup of Apartment 7A is reminiscent of Black Swan

Terry’s opening arc reminds one of Nina’s from Black Swan

in Apartment 7 aIn the opening arc, Julia Garner’s Terry is introduced as a dancer who hopes to see herself in the spotlight someday. As the film’s opening sequence suggests, she also seems to be on the right track to achieving her dreams. However, her dreams are shattered when she breaks her ankle, and the injury holds her back from pursuing her passion. As she struggles to land her next dancing gig, her obsession with material success drives her. The obsession eventually convinces her to – figuratively speaking – make a deal with the devil, leading to terrifying consequences.

Black swan presents a similar story in which Natalie Portman’s Nina Sayers is so preoccupied with her obsession with landing the lead role in a production of ​​Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake that it skews her sense of reality. As she strives for perfection, she struggles with her identity and goes to extreme lengths to achieve her dream. In the dramatic climax of the Darren Aronofsky movie, Nina finally gets what she wants, but at a hefty price. Both Nina and Terry go through haunting transformations During their journey. However, Terry’s story takes a different turn halfway through Apartment 7 a.

Emulating the Black Swan formula could have made Apartment 7A better

Apartment 7A would have been less predictable and more layered if it had copied Black Swan

Even though Apartment 7 a is a decent extension of Rosemary’s babys universe, it did not garner favorable reviews from critics. The primary reason behind its underwhelming critical reception is that It also seems similar to its parent film. Not to mention, viewers who have seen Rosemary’s baby Would also find Terry’s fate towards the end of Apartment 7 a predictable. Apartment 7 a Could have easily avoided the pitfalls by riffing more on its similarities with Black Swan.

Just like Black swan shows how Nina gradually goes down a self-destructive path to achieve success, Apartment 7 a Could have captured something similar with Terry’s characterization. The Rosemary’s baby Prequel could have drawn parallels between the self-destructive nature of Terry’s pregnancy and her obsession with stardom, which would have made it thematically different from its parent film. Terry’s final arc in Apartment 7 a It could also be about her achieving the epitome of fame and material success but falling from grace before she can truly embrace it.

Apartment 7A fails to go the distance with its Black Swan Story parallels

It just sticks to the parallels in its opening arc

Unfortunately, despite initially promising to be an intricate exploration of an artist’s obsession with her craft, Apartment 7 a Drops the storyline and falls into familiar horror territory. With a talented actress like Julia Garner as his lead, Apartment 7 a Could have been a much better film if it stuck to portraying how far Terry is willing to go to achieve her dreams. Unfortunately, it strays from delving deeper into its most interesting story beat.

Movies like Black Swan, The wrestlerAnd WhiplashGoing through the harrowing journeys of characters consumed with their obsessions are both scary and gripping. Apartment 7 a Could be the same. However, it plays it safe by following the framework set by Rosemary’s baby.