Secret Mall Apartment

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2:14

Secret Mall Apartment

2025

1h 31m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

63 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

In 2003, eight Rhode Islanders created a secret apartment inside the busy Providence Place Mall and kept it going for four years, filming everything along the way. Far more than just a wild prank, the secret mall apartment became an incredibly meaningful act for all the participants, at once an act of defiance against local gentrification, a boundary-pushing work of public/private art, and a 750 square foot space that sticks it to the man.

Critics Consensus

Secret Mall Apartment unspools a wild story full of relatable wish fulfillment and social commentary, making for a highly entertaining treatise on artistic expression.

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Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

05/09/2025

3/4

Thanks to its thoughtful protagonists and filmmaker Jeremy Workman, what starts out as a quirky human interest story becomes a profoundly humane portrait of creativity and community.

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Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

04/17/2025

3.5/4

It’s consistently, thoughtfully engaging. And, yes, often very funny in its open-hearted embrace of the DIY spirit, legal or otherwise.

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Kimber Myers

Crooked Marquee

04/11/2025

B+

For all its big ideas, Secret Mall Apartment is full of charm and wonder. This is a breezy 91 minutes to spend with this idealistic group of people, and it’s easy to see why they kept coming back to the space they created, despite its dangers.

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Robert W. Butler

Butler's Cinema Scene

Feb 9

B+

His attitude permeates the film… playful, modest, unstoppably creative.

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Ryan Syrek

The Reader (Omaha, NE)

Feb 5

A-

At a time when we are all longing for a way to "stick it to the man," these creative and caring weirdos found a rebellious but heartwarming way to flip the bird to the establishment. It’s so cozy and nice.

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Ruth Maramis

FlixChatter Film Blog

Feb 3

4/5

It’s art as a form of resistance, which is always a fascinating topic. You can’t help but be inspired by these artists’ inventiveness and amazing teamwork; there’s an underlying sense of mischief combined with rebellion against corporate greed.

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Kathy L

05/17/2025

Use of shifting timeline. Especially appreciated final updaftes

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barbara

04/20/2025

What a great story not only of the apartment but the great art work that is done. Following @tapeart on instagram to see all they are doing.

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Jeannette

04/19/2025

Loved the history of how Providence looked back then and now. Love seeing old footage and its amazing the story content. Incredible story about all the artists.

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erika

04/13/2025

Fabulous, life affirming in the spirit of art from the heart.

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Evelyn

03/27/2025

Great documentary! I was tuned in from start to finish. Also had some good laughs. Heard this story growing up but to see actual footage was great. Love the representation of Providence

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Dave W

03/26/2025

Very well done documentary that brought you into the movie. Informative and entertaining at the same. And if you live near Providence like I do seeing it in the building it took place adds to the experience.

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Jeremy Workman

Director

Michael Townsend

Self

Colin Bliss

Self

Adriana Valdez-Young

Self

Jeremy Workman

Producer

Jesse Eisenberg

Executive Producer

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Secret Mall Apartment: Trailer 1

2:14

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Synopsis

In 2003, eight Rhode Islanders created a secret apartment inside the busy Providence Place Mall and kept it going for four years, filming everything along the way. Far more than just a wild prank, the secret mall apartment became an incredibly meaningful act for all the participants, at once an act of defiance against local gentrification, a boundary-pushing work of public/private art, and a 750 square foot space that sticks it to the man.

Director: Jeremy Workman
Producer: Jeremy Workman
Distributor: Wheelhouse Creative
Production Co: Wheelhouse Creative, Wildbrush Media, Wrong Turn Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 21, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $42.5K
Runtime: 1h 31m