1BR aka Apartment 1BR Review
Still, a firm favorite as a title in the horror genre, 1BR aka Apartment 1BR is about a girl who moves out of home only to find herself in a one-bedroom apartment rental where things get weird really fast. The narrative by writer and director David Marmor draws from actual story experiences taken from stories derived from those who have been part of the religious group Scientology. Rather than the film is “based on real events,” the storyline created 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 1BR trailer is one of those rare beasts that give you just enough to reel you in and make you swallow the bait, much like the premise behind the story of Sarah. A part coming-of-age tale, part, a 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, 1BR will still leave you with white knuckles with the tension build-up being 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 and 1BR 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
The 1BR movie review rated
4 Giles never knew what hit him out of 5
For more information on the movie, see the official Twitter page for 1BR.
1BR Where to Watch
1BR was 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. Basically, for those that saw The Invitation and loved it, you’ll remember that feeling of 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 1BR 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.
