Although Rosemary's Baby. Based on Ira Levin's book of the same name, Rosemary's Baby is an iconic film that has influenced generations of horror movies. Despite premiering nearly 50 years ago, the film stands the test of time and is as scary and unsettling as it was back in the day. While masterfully unfolding a thoughtful metaphor for gaslighting and paranoia in a marriage, the film also invites viewers to fill in the blanks with their interpretations of shrouded character fates.
These intentional blanks in Rosemary's Baby's narrative allow it to pave the way for a prequel. Apartment 7A takes this opportunity by focusing primarily on one character, Terry, who only shows up in the 1968 film's opening arc. While Apartment 7A differs from Rosemary's Baby in more ways than one, it unravels its mysteries and terrors in the same setting as its parent film. Owing to this, it features several narrative intersections that set the stage for the return of several characters from Rosemary's Baby.
9 Satan
The Evil Force That Controls The Coven
As Rosemary's Baby gradually reveals, Satan is the overarching evil force in its narrative. Serving as its prequel, Apartment 7A also gives the malevolent figure a similar role, where he only briefly appears but is among the primary drivers of the movie's story. In the 1968 film, the demonic character was portrayed by the late star Clay Tanner, who is best known for his work in The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Dion Brothers, and Kung Fu. On the other hand, in Apartment 7A, James Swanton, of the Host fame, briefly appears as the masked sinister figure.
8 Laura-Louise
One Of The Main Of The Coven
Played by Patsy Kelly in Rosemary's Baby, Laura-Louise is among the residents of the central Renaissance Revival apartment building. Like the others, she, too, is part of Bramford's secret cult that is deadset on bringing the Anti-Christ to the human world. Since the movie only portrays her as a secondary character, her past remains obscure, and her reasons for ing the cult remain unexplored. However, like the other coven , she seems to have lost her sense of morality a long time ago. Audiences will get a glimpse of her oddball comic mannerisms again in Apartment 7A.
7 Lily Gardenia
A Cult Member Who Dies Before Rosemary's Baby's Events
In Rosemary's Baby's opening arc, Rosemary and Guy arrive at the central apartment building, and their agent informs them that the home's previous resident, Lily Gardenia, died only a few days ago. Although the movie does not delve into the details surrounding her death, it becomes evident that she had close ties with the coven. Given how Apartment 7A's timeline unfolds right before the events of Rosemary's Baby, it makes sense that Apartment 7A finally clears the air surrounding what happened to Mrs. Gardenia.
6 Roman Castevet
One Of The Leading Forces In The Coven
Roman Castevet and his wife, Minnie, are two leading antagonists in Rosemary's Baby and Apartment 7A. In the original 1968 film, they live next door to Guy and Rosemary and gradually get Guy involved in their sinister plan of bringing the Antichrist to the world. By initially presenting themselves as friendly neighbors, the Castevets first win the trust of their unsuspecting neighbors. However, once they are trapped in their malicious yarn, they reveal their true colors.
Rosemary's Baby Ending, Explained
The unsettling final scene of the 1968 horror classic Rosemary's Baby confirms the title character's fears and solidifies the movie's timely themes.
According to Rosemary's Baby's lore, Roman Castevet's name is an anagram for Steven Marcato, which was his real name. He changed to hide the fact that he was the son of an infamous Satanist named Adrian Marcato. As hinted in Rosemary's Baby, the Castevets first targeted Terry, but she died before she could give birth to the Anti-Chirist. After she ed away, they instantly set their eyes on Rosemary, hoping she would eventually become the bearer of the Devil.
5 Minnie Castevet
The Primary Entry Point For Rosemary In The Coven's Schemes
Ruth Gordon's portrayal of the malicious Minnie Castevet was so convincing and unsettling that it won her an Academy and Golden Globe Award in the Best ing Actress category. Considering her brilliant performance in the film, no one can truly replace her. However, in Apartment 7A, two-time Academy Award-winning actress Dianne Wiest also does an incredible job of capturing Minnie's intensity and desperation to secure her vision of bringing the Anti-Christ. Although both versions of the character initially seem warm, it is hard not to notice their underlying menace.
4 Dr. Sapirstein
The Coven's Official Obstetrician
Despite realizing that the of the coven asked her to visit Dr. Sapirstein, Rosemary initially puts her trust in the doctor. She even complains to him about her suspicion surrounding the cult's motives. Since Sapirstein also plays along, it takes Rosemary a while before she understands that he, too, is a part of the cult.
...like most secondary characters from Rosemary's Baby, he makes a blink-or-miss appearance in Apartment 7A.
When the doctor's assistant reveals that he often smells like "tannis root," Rosemary connects the dots and realizes he is one of them. Since Sapirstein is an important secondary character who drives several story beats in the 1968 film, it is not surprising that even Apartment 7A features him. However, like most secondary characters from Rosemary's Baby, he makes a blink-or-miss appearance in Apartment 7A.
3 Terry Gionoffrio
The Dancer Who Gets Trapped In The Coven's Plot
Terry is merely a side character in Rosemary's Baby, who briefly interacts with Rosemary twice before she is found dead below the central apartment building. Her first interaction with the titular character comes when she meets her below the apartment building and tells her how the Castevets saved her by providing her with a home. She later meets her again in the apartment building's basement laundry room, where the two characters warm up to one another. With these brief appearances as cues, Apartment 7A expands Terry's narrative.
Apartment 7A's Cast & Character Breakdown |
|
Actor |
Role |
Julia Garner |
Terry Gionoffrio |
Dianne Wiest |
Margaux "Minnie" Castevet |
Jim Sturgess |
Alan Marchand |
Kevin McNally |
Roman Castevet |
Marli Siu |
Annie Leung |
James Swanton |
Satan |
Patrick Lyster |
Dr. Sapirstein |
Rosy McEwan |
Vera Clarke |
Amy Leeson |
Rosemary Woodhouse |
Scott Hume |
Guy Woodhouse |
It shows how she was once an accomplished dancer before an injury made her question her career path. Failures and rejections almost coincidentally led her to cross paths with the Castevets, who saw her as their new prey. Like Rosemary, she was initially so blinded by the Castevets' kindness that she could not help but believe they had her best interests in mind.
2 Rosemary Woodhouse
The Cult's New Target After Terry
Since Rosemary is the main titular character in the 1968 movie, it makes sense she also shows up in Apartment 7A. However, since the prequel is less about what happened to Rosemary and more about Terry's backstory, it does not feature her in a large capacity. She only appears during the narrative intersections between the two films and hardly has any dialog.
1 Guy Woodhouse
Rosemary's Deceitful Husband
Unbeknownst to Rosemary, Guy sells his soul to the Devil and becomes a part of the coven to achieve fame and success. As a result, like the other of the coven, he, too, keeps gaslighting her into believing that there is nothing wrong with her and her child. Without delving too deep into his arc from Rosemary's Baby, Apartment 7A also features him in a few fleeting scenes that merely highlight narrative intersections between the two movies.
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8/10Directed by Roman Polanski and starring Mia Farrow, Rosemary's Baby chronicles the chilling tale of Rosemary Woodhouse, the wife of an actor who, after finding out she is pregnant, begins to suspect that her unborn child is something far more sinister than a normal baby. John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, and Maurice Evans also star.
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5/10In this psychological thriller, a young woman is forced into a mysterious cult after moving into a seemingly ordinary apartment complex. As strange events occur there, she begins to question her sanity and the motives of her enigmatic neighbors.
