A PSYCHOTIC CULT PREYS ON A CREATIVE RECLUSE IN "1BR" (SPOILER WARNING)

"Rebirth" meets "The Resident" meets "Midsommar" in "1BR", now available on Netflix.

Sarah, an aspiring designer, moves into an affordable, luxury apartment in the expensive city of L.A. after getting a thankless internship as she continues her education. She is a woman taking all the right steps to achieve independence.

Any father would be proud of such accomplishment and hard work. At least, he should be, but not Sarah's. Therefore, the option of living alone is extra enticing. She carries her pain on her sleeve: timid and compassionate. This makes her a prime candidate for the cult residing in that apartment complex. Isolated, traumatized people make easy converts. She has no one on whom she can rely.

This so-called "community" demands absolute compliance from its victims. What they fail to realize is that Sarah harbors a rebellious streak beneath her pain, a strength that simmers just beneath the surface. All she needs is an extra push.

The answer comes with her horrifying experience in her new home. This is where she quickly learns the validity of the saying. "When something sounds too good to be true, it is." An incredible opportunity turns sinister after she moves in. Mysterious noises keep her awake at night, which renders her forgetful and weakened. Her anti-depressants become impossible to acquire. Despite these peculiar events, she can't shake the feeling that there's something wrong with her neighbors.

Finally, she finds herself a prisoner in her own apartment, a victim of physical and psychological torture. Her only hope of escape is to survive this horrifying experience and earn the trust of her captor.

How much must she sacrifice as rises through the ranks and win her freedom?

Independence is the one thing she strives to obtain during her time in LA. She gets a job while planning to take design classes. Her plan is solid and responsible. All she needs is an apartment of her own, because she is alone in her endeavor. Her father refuses to support her. Regardless, she is determined to achieve her goal in life.

Therefore, the cult finds her difficult to convert. They lock her doors and take her belongings. She has no access to a phone or the internet. By stripping her of her basic human rights, they make their biggest mistake.

Speaking of basic human rights, they bug every room of her apartment. They violate her privacy in a big way by monitoring her every move. They record every word she says. They also hack her phone and laptop to isolate her from friends and family. Their actions nearly get her best friend fired from her job.

With eyes on her at all times, she cannot express herself, call for help, or ask questions. This would ensure absolute compliance. Independent thought is so unacceptable that it results in death. The deaths of her father, her friend, and herself.

It was the most despicable attempt at the control that I've experienced in my lifetime. Ask me how I know.

"The number one tool of an abuser is isolation." (Dr. Phil McGraw)

These awful abusers do exactly that. It's an easy task because Sarah is a recluse. With her self-esteem already on the floor, she battles depression indicated by her Zoloft medication, which they also make inaccessible by canceling her prescription.

Her best friend Lisa is a strong, sassy woman. She doesn't care what anyone thinks of her, and she stands up for herself in a way that Sarah envies. Lisa everything that Sarah aspires to be. She is also the only person in Sarah's life who encourages and supports her career aspiration, calling Sarah's designs beautiful. She appreciates the creative mind harboring deep within Sarah's insecurities.

Therefore, her separation from Lisa is the most painful. Lisa is the only person who could help Sarah, as a friend and fighter. After the cult drives Lisa away, she becomes alone in her struggle for freedom.

Her relationship with her father is already fragile. So, they become very surprised when he shows up at the complex's front door to take her home. She must drive him away to save his life. At this moment, we see how contentious their relationship is. Her father is a lesser version of the cult. Both are guilty of abuse; both are toxic. As she is better off without him, she would be exponentially better off without the cult.

These two people fail her in the end. They walk away from her without a fight, but they help her indirectly. They serve as a reminder of the life she desires and the independence she desperately craves. Their presence makes her realize that she must be the one to fight for her freedom.

Sarah's rich inner life is invisible to the world, because of her meek personality. She draws and sews, even though she doesn't share her designs even though they are beautiful. Her talent doesn't shine.

When the cult imprisons her, they strip her apartment. Her drawings, dress form, sewing machine, and clothes disappear. Her apartment is stripped, and they give her scrubs to wear. Every aspect of her personality is stripped away from her. Her creative expression is robbed.

They don't stop there. To ensure that she never creates again, they take her hands by nailing them to the wall and forcing her to pull them out. The injuries cause minimal nerve damage, but only because she's lucky. However, medical attention is prohibited, so her hope of regaining the use of her hands is minimal, and those who are too sick to contribute to the "community" are simply killed off.

Will she ever be able to use them again? That's up to her. Only by escaping those privacy-invading control freaks and seeking legitimate medical care will she be able to express herself again.

Rebirth ends with a horrifying ending. The victim of this scam succumb to the bullying of his captor and joins the cult. He and his family become slaves to a pyramid scheme.

Freedom comes in all forms, even in death. This is the conundrum she faces: a short life doing what is right or a long life spent in pain, misery, and fear?

Even if she chooses to comply, she would only be discarded after she becomes no longer useful. All sick and elderly are murdered, since they do not believe in advanced medical care. Mostly, they cannot risk exposure of their illegal practice to the outside world.

The world is filled with obstacles. People want to tear you down and discourage your dreams. They might even seek to strip you of your personality or bully you into submission. These are the things that Sarah endures for no reason at all. Her only crime was her desperate attempt to achieve independence away from her family. She is a rebel at heart. The only person who can save Sara is herself.

Will she succeed? Or die trying?