phancy.com - horror reviews - MOH 2020

1BR



IMDb Info

Release Year: 2019
Runtime: 1h 30min
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre Tags: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Plot Summary: Sarah tries to start anew in LA, but her neighbours are not what they seem.

Poster - Title Card


phancy.com rating:

phancy.com notes: Well-crafted cult shenanigans. It doesn't bring anything new to the table, but what it does bring is appetizing and well-plated.


Outside Reviews:

Simon Abrams
3 out of 4 stars - rogerebert.com

I'm honestly not sure how well a movie like "1BR" will play for horror fans now that there are so many true-crime docu-series and LA-set indie horror films about serial murderers, religious cults, and other seductive frauds. I can, however, tell you that I eventually stopped second-guessing Marmor's creative choices, and eagerly waited for Sarah's situation to become even more bleak. There's a light at the end of the tunnel for Sarah, and seeing her claw her way to it is often fun, albeit in a gasp-inducing sort of way.


Katie Rife
Blood grudges, B-legends, and bizarre urges: 5 films to watch from the Fantasia Film Festival

When Sarah (Nicole Brydon Bloom) first moves into an L.A. apartment complex where people actually seem to care about their neighbors, any denizen of a major city will think they know where 1BR is going. And it is - for a little while. What's interesting about writer-director David Marmor's feature debut is the fact that, 45 minutes in, the film reaches what would be the natural end point of most horror movies about cults. Then it keeps going. Real-life details culled from ex-members' accounts of life in groups like Scientology and NXIVM give the film an edgy ripped-from-the-headlines quality, as well as reinforcing the sheer L.A. of it all. If you enjoyed The Invitation, keep this one on your radar.