“Secret Mall Apartment” is directed by Jeremy Workman and stars Michael Townsend, Colin Bliss, Adriana Valdez Young, Andrew Oesch, Greta Scheing, James Mercer, Emily Ustach, and Jay Zehngebot. This documentary centers around a group of Rhode Islanders who ended up building a secret home inside a large shopping mall.

I have heard about the story that inspired “Secret Mall Apartment” when I was ten years old. For the record, I was obsessed with elevators, and as a result, malls, at the time and with the power of the Internet, you are bound to learn a few things. Though never once did I think about the possibility of this story being translated to a film. For one thing, my interest in documentaries at the time were nearly nonexistent, and I had no idea there was as much personal video as there was to correspond to a story like this.

I am here to tell you that “Secret Mall Apartment” is a must see story for the ages. This documentary might be my favorite film of the year so far. Granted, I say this with some potential bias. First off, I have been to Providence Place, the mall where the group ended up making their home, numerous times. I made a lot of core memories there. Second, speaking of the mall, I made an hour drive from home to go see this movie at the cinema inside Providence Place. Spoiler alert, the movie theater makes a couple of appearances throughout the runtime.

Bias aside, this is an incredible movie. This is documentary filmmaking at its finest. I do not have as much experience with documentaries as I do fictional features, but this is genuinely as good as it gets. The film is about a group of people who are, in essence, living in the mall as a way to move on from losing their homes. These are not troublemakers, murderers, or morons. They are simply trying to push themselves past a significant event in their lives.

The film early on paints the city of Providence, Rhode Island, almost as a tale of two. When the mall was built, it practically excluded one side of the city, unless you were using that side to go into a parking deck. There was, and still is, one side of the mall that has street entrances. You have one side that has tons of mills. It is a bit unfinished and rugged. But the people over there have made it a home of their own. Then you have the other side, the one with the entrances, where if you walk through you will see hotels, the Capitol Building, you have easy access to the train station. The mall essentially had a classist design to it. And it shows in the interviews when the mall was being previewed before it was open. Some people thought it would be a better spot for people who had a higher income.

Ultimately, the film seems to paint Providence Place as a frenemy. Yes, it is the behemoth that many locals despise for their own reasons. Whether it has to do with the lack of lower class shopping options, or the structure blocking the Capitol Building, or the building’s presence and nearby development prompting people to lose their homes. But we also get a glimpse at some fun moments through the group’s mall adventures, whether it is going to the movies or dining in the food court or making a purchase in one of the shops. Based on these actions, the group was in fact giving their money to the mall. They never paid rent, and they used the mall’s electricity to hook up things like their TV and PS2, but they were not necessarily trying to steal from the mall. At least not 100% of the time.

“Secret Mall Apartment” reminded me of Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” because one thing I said about that film is that it is like getting two movies in one package. The same can be said for “Secret Mall Apartment,” but a key difference is that I found both foundations that make up “Secret Mall Apartment” to be equally as engaging whereas I clearly favored one portion of “The Batman” over the other. In this film, you get a massively entertaining story about the group trying to build a home for themselves, but it also digs deep into its main character and his journey as a creative type. We come to learn that Michael is a tape artist. It is a craft that he not only enjoys doing, but he has shared with people going through tough times. Whether they are staying inside of a hospital or still reeling from 9-11. If the film were not as engaging, I could potentially see myself calling the tape art story a “distraction,” but it exquisitely details Michael’s personality and shows him as a kind individual as opposed to someone who sneaks around looking for trouble. But even when we highlight Michael sneaking around the mall, we find out that he likely sees this adventure as an artistic piece, an ambitious project if you will.

The movie uses multiple filmmaking techniques to tell its story. There is the archival footage, part of which includes everything shot on Michael’s camera, but there are also some reenactments. These are two typical techniques used in documentary filmmaking, but both are used wisely. I was surprised with how much I ended up adoring the reenactment scenes, because they are not just reenactments, they are practically peeks inside Michael’s head. There are instances during the reenactment scenes where we are not only told what happened, but Michael explains what he thinks probably could have happened in an alternate reality, and each variant of the story is as entertaining as the one that came before.

If you have followed me for a long time, you would know I am more into written narratives compared to documentaries. But having seen this film as a documentary, I cannot imagine it as a written film. Frankly, if this were a written film, it would be nowhere near as good. I could see concepts of this movie translating into a decent comedy with big name actors, but it still would not be as captivating as this. I will not go heavily into detail, but there is a scene almost midway through the film involving mall security and cinder blocks. With this moment being presented in a documentary fashion, it is a genuine kneeslapper. It is one of those stories that you cannot write. I am thinking to myself, if this were a movie featuring written characters as opposed to real people, if that scene were presented in a written narrative, it would either feel too convenient or unrealistic. With this moment being presented through archival footage, it came off as a story that goes to show how truth is stranger than fiction.

In the end, “Secret Mall Apartment” is a goldmine. This is a story that I have heard about in increments, but I love that I now get to see the full picture. Simply put, it is glorious. I give this film the highest of endorsements. I went in expecting a story about the group’s time at the mall, and yes, I did get that. But the film also put in an excellent B-plot that pulled the heartstrings. It ended up serving the main story, which was already engaging by itself. Chances are a good number of you have probably never heard of this film. You probably had no plans to watch it. Whatever it takes, just do it. This is one of the best films of the decade, and I am going to give “Secret Mall Apartment” a 10/10.

It’s about time! The first perfect score since 2023! I was getting awfully worried we would never see one again! This movie deserves it. I genuinely cannot name a single thing I did not like about “Secret Mall Apartment.” It is perfectly paced, full of fascinating details about a group’s lives, and brings an unbelievable story to life. If this film is playing near you, please go support it. Tell the filmmakers online the Movie Reviewing Moron sent you.

“Secret Mall Apartment” is now playing in theaters, including the Providence Place Cinemas 16, which is featured in the movie. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for one of the biggest films of the year, “A Minecraft Movie.” Stay tuned! Also look forward to my reviews for “Sinners,” “Thunderbolts*,” and “The Ruse.” If you want to see my reviews for these films and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Secret Mall Apartment?” What did you think about it? Or, would you like to live in a mall? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!