September 29, 2024
Courtesy: Paramount+
"7A" is the newest prequel to "Rosemary's Baby" by Ira Levib, the 1968 horror classic that has spawned countless remakes of a young woman (Mia Farrow) who becomes pregnant and soon finds out that her neighbors belong to a satanic cult and is grooming her to usher Satan's spawn into the world. Here, the young woman Terry, played by the effortless Julie Garner (Ozark), finds herself in the same predicament with a few twists that tie into the original. "7A" premeired on Paramount+ on September 27.
Distributed by Paramount Pictures and produced by Paramount Players, Sunday Night Productions, and Platinum Dunes, the film is directed and written by Natalie Erika James, Christian White, and Skylar James. Additional producers are John Krasinski, Allyson Seeger, Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller.
The cast includes:
Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio
Dianne Wiest as Minnie Castevet
Jim Sturgess as Alan Marchand
Kevin McNally as Roman Castevet
Marli Siu as Annie Leung
Andrew Buchan as Leo Watts
Rosy McEwen as Vera Clarke
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as BJ
Courtesy: Paramount+
Set in 1965, Terry Gionoffrio is a young dancer who dreams of making it big as a Broadway dancer, however in a a cruel twist of fate, she twists her ankle and becomes addicted to painkillers. With mounting debt, she goes on a humiliating audition, and the director takes great pleasure in tormenting her. The producer Alan Marchand (Jim Sturgess) adds salt to injury by trying to humiliate her further. She finally stands up to him in a highly emotional scene. She says she will do just about anything but not humiliate herself. Impressed, he leaves, but she still does not get the part. Following him to his Bramford apartment trying to convince him, she falls ill. She encounters a wealthy elderly couple living at The Bramford, Roman and Minnie Castevet (Dianne Weist and Kevin McNally), who allow her to stay in one of the vacant apartments for free, claiming they like to help young girls get back on their feet.
If you've seen "Rosemary's Baby," you know that this sweet elderly couple is part of the satanic cult, and if you have not, you know that no one is ever this nice to offer a free apartment without an ulterior motive. From the moment Terry accepts their offer, creepy, disturbing things start happening in her apartment, which has her second-guessing the sacrifices she's willing to make for her career as she realizes that something evil is living not only in Apartment 7A but also in The Bramford itself. The elderly couple sets her up on a date with Marchand at his apartment and after accepting his drink, she has an outerbody experience filled with satanic nightmares. The following day, Marchand says they had sex, but she does not remember. She later discovers bruises all over her body, revealing that their encounter was not consensual. He offers her the part in the musical, and soon the elderly couple is extra attentive to the point of being annoyingly intrusive. Her injury is healed due to a magical balm by one of her extra nice friends, and she now has the card to an obstetrician, who once again happens to be another of the couple's personal friends. The Castavets are just so darn nice and have literally thought of everything!
Courtesy: Paramount+
With a surprise to no one, Terry is pregnant for Marchand, and just when she thought he would be upset, he's suspiciously thrilled. The young woman who was the lead in the play suddenly has a freak accident on stage, and Marchand promotes Terry to lead. Terry finds it all very strange, and in a fantastic scene between her and Minnie, Minnie calls her ungrateful. Terry keeps having terrifying satanic nightmares, and the baby has taken on a life of its own, inducing sharp physical pains.
In "Rosemary's Baby," Rosemary briefly encounters Terry Gionoffrio. She is the neighbor and recovering addict who lives in the apartment building where Rosemary and her husband, John Cassavetes, moved to. Terry suddenly committed suicide after having jumped from the Castevets' apartment. Here in "A7", the writers provide the complete story of Terry's life from the moment the elderly couple took her in with the same plot as "Rosemary's Baby" in a clever twist that details exactly how sinister the Castevets are looking for a vessel to facilitate their evil intentions. The twist is so clever that giving Terry a backstory makes one want to view "Rosemary's Baby" again.
Julie Garner is absolutely fantastic and a worthy successor in the role. She is one of the rare actresses who elevates any material she is given and provides emotional pathos with every tear and quiver in every scene. Dianne Weist is equally effective as the creepy old lady with sinister intentions who oozes malice behind every pleasantry. The sequel stays close to the original without taking too many liberties. If you are asking yourself who the actual couple is in the final scene, the clever twist ties it back to the classic.
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"7A" is currently streaming on Paramount+.
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