It’s October, so that means over on our instagram and threads @quillandleafllc, we are prioritizing the #31dayhorrorchallenge presented by the @nightmareonfilmstreet podcast.
Has Hollywood run out of ideas? Everything these days seems to be a sequel, reboot, or remake to a classic, or not so classic (we’re looking at you Moana 2026) movie. While some may argue that the horror genre is the one place we can still turn to find original stories and ideas, it is definitely rife with some of the former issues. Case in point: In 2024, we received prequel stories to very famous horror films, Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and The Omen (1976).
The thing is. Even though no one asked for them, we got them. And at least one of them was REALLY good (we’re still in the a’s). My pleasure in viewing may have been increased by just having read Scream With Me by Elenor Johnson, which is about the rise of feminisim in American horror.
Apartment 7A tells the story of the woman who lived in the titular Apartment 7A before Rosemary and her husband moved into the building. In the original film, (which I don’t remember ever actually seeing) I believe there is discussion of the tenent.
It’s moody and striking and Julia Garner does a phenomenal job as the woman staying in the titular Apartment 7A. However, Dianne Weist and Kevin McNally steal the show in their portrayal of the cultist neighbors the Castevets. They really put on that old New York charm you see from elderly neighbors in Manhattan apartments in movies. So much, that you almost forget that they are trying to make this woman the involuntary host for the child of the devil.
One of the great things about horror is how it changes our perception and language of certain acts and events. With the current revelations at Cornell University and the 57 rapists in that group chat, you can’t help but draw comparisons to the obvious evils witnessed in this film.
Horror prepares us for the hard conversations and femenist horror is one of the scariest genres of horror because it shows us the horrors that women think about and live with everyday. Movies like Apartment 7A deleve into the territory of female revenge films, whichare some of the most important films in the horror genre because often they lead to the female main character somehow overcoming the terrible atrocities that they have to deal with and retaining their autonomy.
And it’s not often a Hollywood happy ending, but satisfying to the viewer after witnessing the events leading up to those final moments.
Do women need to see these movies? Yes.
Do men need to see these movies? Even more so.
Especially, men who hide anonymously on chats and social media. It’s why I believe I’m drawn to horror and its exploration of empathy. I’ve desensitized myself to to the physical reactions of horror movies in that I’m not as squeamish or jumpy as I once was, but instead I focus on the cerberal aspect of trauma and response in those situations. In watching horror from a young age I have seen terrible things happen to good people, bad people, and overwhelmingly women. It has helped me in my own journey of being a better person and speaking out when I see or hear people say something wrong.
In summary, don’t be a dick. Don’t judge this film just because it has feminist themes. And think about how other people respond to the traumas in their lives. It allows you to forgive when necessary, even when you can’t forget.
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Check it out from the Cabell County Public Library.
https://cabellcounty.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/test
*THIS POST AND THE A to Z Horror REVIEWS ARE NOT PROVIDED, ENDORSED, or SPONSORED by Cabell County Public Library*
Visit your local library and see what Horror they have to offer A to Z.