| | | The Original Theatrical Version.
Features: DVD
Set in modern day Buenos Aires, the film centers around a relationship between two emotionally crippled roommates. Adrian LeDuc (Colin Firth) is a lonely sociopath. Jack Carney (Hart Bochner), the new roommate, appears normal enough at first but it soon becomes apparent that he is hiding something. As their friendship develops, Adrian suppresses his suspicions that Jack may be the government mercenary turned serial killer who has been terrorizing the city. The shocking climax of this twisted tale of deceit, perversion and murder reveals the darker side of the human psyche.
"A victory of style...remarkable performances..." Phil Hall, Edge Boston
"...if you like your horror on the peculiar side you'll gladly open the door to Apartment Zero." Staci Layne Wilson, Horror.com
"A brilliantly crafted psychological thriller..." Washington Post
Editor's Note
A repressed young cinephile takes in a boarder whose charismatic personality wins over the idiosyncratic occupants of the building. However, it's soon difficult for the tenants to ignore the clues linking their new friend to a string of brutal political murders. Riveting and macabre, with a truly suspenseful story building gradually to a shockingly humorous conclusion.
Plot Summary
The proprietor of a Buenos Aires revival-house cinema meets an American "free spirit;" and before long, he has agreed to let the stranger board in his flat, which is decorated with pictures of movie stars.| Although the theater owner obsequiously vies for the American's affections, he becomes aware that unexplained murders have been taking place in the city, and that his lodger may not be exactly what he seems.| As their relationship develops, both men attempt to discover who the other one is, and what he is striving to attain.
| Features | Audio Commentary From Director, Martin Donovan | | Audio Commentary With Writer/Producer David Koepp & Steven Soderbergh, Fellow 1989 Sundance Director On Independent Film In The 1980's | | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Foxvideo |
| Release Date: 8/4/2009 |
| Running Time: 124 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1988 | | Catalog ID: 72103 | | UPC: 00013137210396 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Nominee (1989) | | | Sundance Film Festival, Martin Donovan, Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic |
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| | Professional Reviews | Rolling Stone
"...A dazzling mix of mirth and menace...a rare find..." 11/02/1989 p.36Entertainment Weekly
"[T]he Buenos Aires-set thriller displays a rich and morbid sense of humor." -- Grade: B 02/23/2007 p.87 eFilmCritic.com 8 of 10
The first half of the film is pure paranoid suspense. Clues are dropped, relationships explored, and bits of information about Jack and Adrian are revealed. Then the second half of the film turns into absurdist tragedy. There are darkly comic moments, goofy directorial flourishes, and a strange climax that will either have you cheering or shaking your head in puzzlement. While the film worked for me most of the time, some viewers might get turned off by the change in tone and characterization (I did not believe for one minute Jack's passport trouble at the airport)...Apartment Zero is still a good film, helped by the two leads and different location. While the second half is not expected, this should be given a chance. - Charles Tatum
Reel.com 9 of 10
As a thriller, Apartment Zero is one-of-a-kind, blending a love of old Hollywood with the political realities of a post-military junta Buenos Aires, circa the late 1980s, two subjects as disparate as the men who share the titular flat. Edgy and unsettling, with terrific performances from its stars Colin Firth and the ultra sexy Hart Bochner, this suspenseful tale of violence and madness never connected with audiences after an acclaimed festival run. But it has grown in cult stature over the years...Apartment Zero should have made Bochner a star, if only people had actually seen it. He is terrific, graceful as a cat, and with a disarming smile and a warmth that he can turn off at will. He's a dead soul hiding behind a deep reserve of charm...Donovan, a native of Argentina, turns Buenos Aires into a third character, its elegant shops and wide boulevards a mask for the violence bubbling beneath its exquisite surface. - Pam Grady
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