Secret Mall Apartment (2024)
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A group of young Rhode Islanders built and lived in a secret apartment inside a shopping mall for four years.
The story
The film tells the true story of eight Rhode Islanders who built and lived in a secret room inside a local mall from 2003 to 2007. It recounts how the group constructed the hidden space within the Providence Place shopping mall in Providence, living there for four years before eventually being caught and charged with trespassing in 2007. The documentary brings together the original eight participants for the first time in 17 years to discuss their activities, which were partially captured on inexpensive cameras purchased at the mall's RadioShack.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film tells the true story of eight Rhode Islanders who built and lived in a secret room inside a local mall from 2003 to 2007. It recounts how the group constructed the hidden space within the Providence Place shopping mall in Providence, living there for four years before eventually being caught and charged with trespassing in 2007. The documentary brings together the original eight participants for the first time in 17 years to discuss their activities, which were partially captured on inexpensive cameras purchased at the mall's RadioShack. The narrative explores the group's outside public artwork and how it intersected with the larger ideas of the secret apartment. The film follows an unusual story arc that starts with a playful premise but develops into a deeper exploration of passion and purpose, shifting between interpretations of the project as a protest against gentrification, a prank, or a piece of artwork. It serves as a 'Trojan Horse' to explore these deeper themes, moving from a superficial topic toward a more meaningful story about the DIY spirit and the intersection of art and rebellion.
- First release year
- 2024
- Runtime (minutes)
- 92
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jeremy Workman
- Cast and characters
- Michael Townsend; Colin Bliss; Adriana Valdez-Young; Andrew Oesch; Greta Scheing; James Mercer; Emily Ustach; Jay Zehngebot
- Genres
- documentary
- Themes
- gentrification; public art; DIY spirit; rebellion; passion and purpose
- Tone and mood
- delightful; moving; funny; thoughtful; subversive
- Premise and plot tags
- true story; documentary; urban exploration; art installation
- Reception
- The film has been widely praised, receiving universal acclaim on Metacritic and being cited as one of the best documentaries of 2024 and 2025. It was a moderate box office success and became one of the top five most-viewed programs on Netflix by January 2026.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 82 · scale: 100
- Awards and nominations
- Audience Award Best Documentary · IFFBoston · win; Grand Jury Prize Best Documentary · IFFBoston · win; Audience Award Best Feature · deadCenter Film Festival · win; Audience Choice Award Best Documentary · Sidewalk Film Festival · win; Special Jury Prize for Artistic Subversion · Calgary International Film Festival · win; Audience Award Best Documentary · newportFilm · win
- Production trivia
- The group filmed much of their activity using inexpensive Pentax Optio cameras purchased at the mall's RadioShack.; The story of the secret apartment had been an urban legend for many years.; The film was released theatrically at the cineplex of the Providence Place, the very mall where the story took place.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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