I Thought I Knew What Netflix's Secret Mall Apartment Was About, And I Was Way Off Base

I was recently looking for something new to watch with my Netflix subscription when I found Secret Mall Apartment, a 2024 documentary about some artists building a hideout in the middle of a bustling shopping mall. Judging by the title and basic premise, I went into this feeling like I knew what to expect. However, after watching it, I can happily say I was totally off base in my original assumption (you know what they say about those).

While this is very much about a group of self-expressive punks and creatives finding a secret, unused space in a massive Rhode Island mall, that’s just part of the story. Instead, as I discovered throughout the incredible, powerful, and oddly emotional documentary, this is a story about artists making their mark on the world and taking back something that was pried out of their hands by developers and capitalism.

This Is More Than A Group Of Artists Hiding In A Mall As A Prank

When I first pressed play on Secret Mall Apartment, I was treated to the story of a group of young, talented, and disenfranchised artists who came up with the idea to stay in the Providence Place shopping mall for as long as possible and document their exploits. Though it starts out sounding like something from the making of Dawn of the Dead with a group of four (later eight) artists finding this hidden location deep in the recesses of the indoor shopping center, the film slowly morphs into a more profound argument about capitalism, gentrification, and artistic expression.

After watching, I found an interview director Jeremy Workman gave to Movie Maker Magazine, where he described his critically acclaimed documentary as a “Trojan Horse,” and that comparison is perfect. I mean, it worked, as I was drawn in by the concept of someone hiding in a mall, only to be taken aback by a story about the power of art and small acts of rebellion.

I Was Not Expecting This To Turn Into An Exploration Of The Power Of Art In The Face Of Tragedy

One thing that is teased in the Secret Mall Apartment trailer (which I didn’t watch before checking out the documentary) is the Providence Place group’s drive to improve the world through art.

There’s a great section partway through the film where the group travels to Oklahoma City on the 10th anniversary of the OKC Bombing to construct a massive piece of public art created with nothing more than masking tape and ingenuity. Though monumental in emotionality, this pales in comparison to what comes next: a citywide tribute to the FDNY firefighters and passengers who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. I want ruin the scope and scale of the project, but it was breathtaking.

These are just two examples of how the Providence Place group used their talents (and that secret mall apartment) to carry out thoughtful and meaningful artistic expressions that improved the lives of countless people, or at least allowed them to cope for a short time.

If you’re looking for a documentary that will make you laugh, cry, and change the way you think about the interiors of large shopping centers, Secret Mall Apartment is going to do the trick.