Secret Mall Apartment: The Intriguing Documentary Taking Netflix By Storm

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The compelling documentary Secret Mall Apartment is now available on Netflix and is quickly gaining popularity. Originally released in theaters in 2024, it earned an impressive $850,000 worldwide and received high praise from critics (98% on Rotten Tomatoes). Now, two years later, it’s proving to be a hit with streaming audiences as well.

Since debuting on Netflix on January 23, 2026, Secret Mall Apartment has quickly become a hit, reaching the #4 spot on the platform’s global top 10 movies list. This is especially impressive because documentaries usually only succeed on Netflix if they’re about true crime. Secret Mall Apartment is a notable exception, captivating audiences with its original concept and surprisingly deep subject matter.

What Is Secret Mall Apartment About?

The documentary Secret Mall Apartment tells the incredible true story of eight young artists who, in 2003, created a hidden living space within an unused section of the Providence Place mall. After two decades of keeping their secret, the group – known as the Trummerkind and comprised of Michael Townsend, Colin Bliss, Adriana Valdez-Young, Andrew Oesch, Greta Scheing, James Mercer, Emily Ustach, and Jay Zehngebot – have agreed to share their story.

After living secretly in a small 850-square-foot space within a mall for four years, the Trummerkind were caught and charged with trespassing. But the documentary Secret Mall Apartment isn’t really about the legal trouble. It’s about the strong community they built as their city, Providence, changed around them.

Secret Mall Apartment Is A Brilliant Documentary

The premise of eight people living in a mall for four years is definitely interesting. But Secret Mall Apartment wouldn’t have resonated as well if it just focused on that. Townsend and his friends wanted the documentary to highlight their artistic pursuits and the real reason they chose to live in the mall back in the early 2000s.

Secret Mall Apartment is a compelling documentary that explores a difficult time in Providence, Rhode Island. The area was experiencing significant economic changes, where the needs of the wealthy were increasingly valued over those of everyday people. As part of this shift, the Fort Thunder artist community was torn down. The Trummerkind’s hidden apartment served as a creative act of resistance against these changes.

The documentary Secret Mall Apartment explores how important it is for people to connect, work together, and create art, and how society should support these things. Filmmaker Jeremy Workman intentionally presented the film as a lighthearted story initially—like a ‘Trojan Horse’—but ultimately used it to delve into these more meaningful ideas. The result is a truly remarkable film.

Netflix Needs More Documentaries That Are Not True Crime

While Secret Mall Apartment isn’t Netflix’s first hit documentary, the platform has consistently found success with them – you can often find one in their top 10. Usually, though, these are focused on true crime. Interest in these kinds of stories grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Netflix capitalized on that demand.

While many people are drawn to true crime shows, it’s encouraging to see a thought-provoking and positive documentary like ‘Secret Mall Apartment’ becoming popular on Netflix. Hopefully, its success will encourage Netflix to produce more documentaries like it.

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2026-01-28 23:30