1BR: The Apartment

1BR - ok I reckon it makes sense that it stands for 1 Bedroom. When it comes to revealing what the movie is about - I reckon it doesn't say much. The German title for the movie "The Appartment" may not be revealing that much either, but there is a subtitle that is quite on the "spoiler" side of things - that's why I won't mention what is being said there.

The poster here may be an indication too, but you know it is a thriller at least if you found your way to this page. I for one did only know that much. It becomes pretty clear what direction this will go ... and while it is mostly psychological horror there is some vivid physical horror and violence too. And there is an ending you may predict or see coming. Once you start something, it's not just as easy as ... switching something off. Interesting premise, nicely played out

An average thriller nothing great but nothing really bad, it's just ok if nothing else to watch and you want an ok thriller it was worth watching once. Acting was decent and had a decent ending like I said overall just.....good.

Some reviewers forget the obvious questions most potential viewers have when reading IMDb reviews. Here are my answers to them:

1. If you're looking for suspense versus a bloodbath with jump scares, then 1BR will give you the low-level anxiety fix you're seeking.

2. It doesn't drag. The movie's 90-minute run time passes quickly, and it will competently hold your interest. It's escapist in the best sense of the word.

3. Production values, plot, directing, and acting don't read as cheesy in spite of a modest budget and a lack of big-name talent. It's a great reminder that simplicity often succeeds where CGI and tens of millions of dollars do not.

What some call 'flat' performances read to me as understated -- realistic reactions to depression, shock, and brainwashing. One expects the depressed and those tortured into submission to be subdued, not over the top. That said, the acting is merely good, not great.

Complaining about a movie being predictable is like complaining that the outcome of an election is predictable. There is a limited array of possibilities, so predicting correctly doesn't exactly make you a genius.

Is it too predictable? I foresaw 1BR going two or three possible directions, all of which have been done before in one way or another. It did, indeed, travel one of those paths. That said, in spite of an expected general outcome, the ending does offer an unexpected twist that's fair and supported by the plot.

For those always seeking a higher message, there's one to be had, and this sets 1BR apart from other run-of-the-mill, low-budget thrillers. The filmmakers don't beat the social commentary drum too hard -- it's chancy with a movie like this -- but 1BR does say a little something about the tyrannies of paternalism, forced conformity, and ideology by threat, phenomena we're seeing a little too much of in society these days.

As with any movie, the fun isn't always in the destination. Rather, it's often in the path you take to get there. That's true for most films, and it's true for 1BR. But no one can force you to watch it. At least not yet.

I was pleasantly surprised by this story of imprisonment with semi-political subtext.

Asides from the usage of the word "creepy" it didn't really do the little things that annoy me in horror/thrillers but even then they sort of justified it.

I can't tell you I loved this movie but refreshingly it's more of a case that they made it too well! Be warned how the characters in this will tick you off. It brings to mind the quote by Crystal Eastman "so much oppression takes the form of protection".

I think I kept watching just because I wanted a pay off to all the bullying by people who think they're in the right morally.

A lot of this just feels like torture porn and not in a great way. But that's kind of balanced out by the aforementioned features and it serves a function to help you follow the protagonists emotional journey. She was a bland and fairly passive protagonist (sort of the point really) but it's not really about her, it's about the situation.

More anger educing than scary, without going into spoilers, this did not end, repeat NOT end in a way that left me feeling insulted or taken for a ride. There's several respectable surprises along the way too.

My final remark is that this is above average and I hope there are people who will appreciate this in they way I couldn't quite.

The real horror here is going to open rental inspections in a nice area only to find heaps of others are interested in the flat too. And when you do find a place to live there's noises at night that compound the drudgery of day-to-day life. Very relatable stuff. But then the film deviates to a world of enforced anarcho-communism and some hardcore behaviorism is applied. A refreshing application of "torture porn" here and there, bundled into a movie with a story to tell that may not be a masterpiece, is still enjoyable.