1BR, also known as Apartment 1BR, is a favorite in the horror genre. It is about a girl who moves out of home. She finds herself in a one-bedroom apartment rental where things get weird really fast. The narrative by writer and director David Marmor takes inspiration from actual Scientology stories. These stories are from people who have been part of the religious group. Rather than the film being “based on real events,” the storyline creates a fictional version of true stories. Cults that are hidden in plain sight. For those not familiar with the 1BR acronym, it simply means “one bedroom.” This term is often referred to when looking to rent an apartment.
1BR Trailer
The trailer is one of those rare beasts. It gives you just enough to reel you in and make you swallow the bait. This is much like the premise behind the story of Sarah. A part coming-of-age tale. Part terrifying tale about why you should never leave home. Sarah can’t believe her luck when she jags a great apartment for her and her cat Giles. A perfectly great name for a cat, by the way, however not so great if your new apartment clearly says pets are not allowed. Check out the trailer and see what I mean.
In this situation, Sarah just wants to leave her troubles behind. After the death of her mother and up against her father’s newest relationship smashing into her face, a new apartment with a fantastic community seems just the ticket. A psychological thriller with horror elements, this is a title that will still leave you with white knuckles because the tension build-up is its biggest asset. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.
The narrative is perfectly paced within its super tight 90-minute run time and there isn’t anything I like more. Unless of course, character-driven movies are your thing this tidy horror film has that in spades too. Nicole Bloom is an excellent Sarah. She not only comes across as a clever and diligent protagonist, but it’s also hard to not feel sorry for her predicament.
I love stories that have that sinister build-up. Where you can see something is amiss, but many of the characters within the story are blind to what’s happening. If The Invitation movie had a baby, it could give birth to the 1BR movie, a singular idea based on a wider universe.
More importantly, the third act is where things really start to ramp up. Performances are excellent considering there is only a handful of well-known names in the cast for 1BR. Naomi Grossman stars (from AHS fame) but is also wildly unrecognizable. I found the 1BR movie to be a great directorial debut from David Marmor. And I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next because he definitely is a great example of a filmmaker who knows how to bring the tension.
1BR Cast:
- Nicole Brydon Bloom
- Giles Matthey
- Taylor Nichols
For more information on the movie, see the official Twitter page for 1BR. If you liked Apartment 1BR then you should watch Apartment 413 or Nightmare next.
1br Movie Where to Watch
Released to the Netflix streaming platform in 2020 in the USA. The title was shifted over to AppleTV in Australia as a rental. The film is still streaming in other countries for free with a subscription. For more options to watch 1BR see below. As of August 16th, 2022 With this purpose in mind, if you are planning to watch the film and are concerned about the welfare of Sarah’s beloved cat, check the sealed spoiler section at the end of the review.
1BR streaming:
The Invitation Wider Universe Cult Movies
Of course, I did promise you reasons why this is an excellent piece to rub up against the 2015 horror movie The Invitation. Those who saw The Invitation and loved that film, you’ll remember feeling the possibility of a bigger universe. You’re left to think about the pieces that would fit outside of the storyline than what we were privy to during the film. Coupled with the same themes as 1BR you’ll be asking whether there is anyone in the story you can trust.
1BR Explained
Do you need to know ahead of time whether or not one of our furry friends dies in the movie? Mother of Mother of Movies has a sealed section to tell you the fate of the cat in 1BR.
Does the Cat Die in the movie?
Sara’s cat Giles is found in the oven of her apartment. Her cat has been reduced to a charred cat-shaped version of its former self and is indeed deceased.
The 1BR movie review rated
4 Giles never knew what hit him out of 5
Apartment 1BR
Director: David Marmor
Date Created: 2020-04-24 17:01
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