A young woman moves into an apartment complex with a dark secret in 1BR. Living in Los Angeles to get away from his estranged father, Sarah (Nicole Brydon Bloom) lucks into a one-bedroom at Asilo Del Mar Apartments. Greeted by the friendly manager Jerry (Taylor Nichols), Sarah quickly becomes acquainted with the neighbours, including man next door Brian (Giles Matthey), retired actress Edith Stanhope (Susan Davis), and the creepy one-eyed Lester (Clayton Hoff). However, not long after she moves in, Sarah begins to hear noises at night and receives threatening letters about her cat. As soon as she’s freaked out enough to consider moving out, Sarah learns the shocking truth about the community living in this apartment block.
The feature film debut from writer/director David Marmor, 1BR is a horror film best experienced knowing as few specifics about the plot as possible. All you really need to know is that the film is about a woman moving into an apartment block, where nothing is what it initially seems. The primary focus for much of the film is Nicole Brydon Bloom (The Affair) as the anxiety-suffering protagonist Sarah, though the film sports an eccentric supporting cast that includes Taylor Nichols (Jurrasic Park III), Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story), and Giles Matthey (True Blood).
1BR is a film I can say that I liked, though it is far from an enjoyable viewing experience, with some very disturbing scenes that will leave you squirming in your seat. Without giving away the exact details of what happens in the film, I will say that films that popped into mind in comparison to 1BR include 2012’s Compliance and some aspects of Get Out. At the end of the day, 1BR is a disturbing film that will have you thinking twice before renting a new apartment.