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.

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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

May 9, 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

Apr 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

Apr 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, 2026

B+

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

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Ryan Syrek

The Reader (Omaha, NE)

Feb 5, 2026

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, 2026

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

May 17, 2025

Use of shifting timeline. Especially appreciated final updaftes

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barbara

Apr 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

Apr 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

Apr 13, 2025

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

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Evelyn

Mar 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

Mar 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

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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

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