The Dead Girl in Apartment 03 is a really, really low-key ghost story. So much so, that the dialogue comes off as too simplistic, and other times redundant. I wouldn't even say this movie offers anything new to the genre, and in terms of brevity, I think it's a bit too short (72 minutes). Surely this filmmaker has left some room for characters and story to be further fleshed out. There's a police procedural angle (with Adrienne King from Friday the 13th), where the detectives basically just show up to console the "living" girl in apartment 03, and miss evidence (never mind the scratches, which are never explained, but there's a huge satanic symbol under the dead girl's bed, in the same room they were collecting evidence!). The ghosts occasionally show up to say "Hi," and nothing more, though they are startling to look at.
Why a 7? This movie has atmosphere for miles, and I can't get enough of claustrophobic settings.
Laura splits from her boyfriend in Massachusetts to move to New York City, and answers an ad for a roommate. After two months, she discovers her roommate has mysteriously died. There is an occult and supernatural element, as well as a couple twists at the end. But the bulk of this movie involves Laura's sense of isolation in her apartment (she spends the entire duration there, only once venturing elsewhere, a futile trip to the basement because her lights go out). Also, her helplessness, as her only options seem to be reaching out to her ex, 3 hours away, and the inept cop who left his number, and expressed interest in dating her (yeah, he botches the ending, as well!). So, I really enjoyed the trapped aspect of Laura's story, the subdued tone of the film, and the dank atmosphere the entire movie possesses. Could've used a couple re-writes, if not an entirely different writer.
Oh yeah, the opening and closing theme sounds suspiciously like John Carpenter's Halloween.
