The 2024 awards season was very good to Jesse Eisenberg. A Real Pain received much acclaim and numerous awards, but it also allowed the multi-hyphenate filmmaker to make a victory lap, of sorts, afterward and take on more behind-the-camera opportunities that may come along after its success. Secret Mall Apartment is one such project that absolutely appeals to the inner Child of the ’80s hidden deep inside me.

What begins as a relatively small art project between four artists responding to consumerism and local gentrification incidents eventually blurs the line between art and life. Installation art becomes performance art, and this social experiment reinvents the everyday life of Michael Townsend, who spearheads the “Mall Project.”

What would it take to actually live inside a shopping mall, where everything you could possibly need is conveniently located just a few steps away? Townsend, an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design, organized the group back in 2003, but in order to fully grasp the situation, you’ve got to remember what life was like back in the day. While wi-fi internet connectivity was still getting perfected, shopping malls were still running strong as touching and inspecting and item IRL still dominated.

Taking on the challenge, these four artists played this group project like a game of survival, eventually locating an abandoned “nowhere space.” Carefully filling it with thrift store and discarded, side-of-the-road furniture, they jokingly considered themselves micro developers of underutilized space, which was about 750 square feet. With no light switches, no power outlets (only a very long extension cord brought them hope), no heat/air and no immediate bathroom, they were roughing it for real, but they were living their artistic dream.

As the collective grew from four to eight people, it remained an exclusive club, as no outsiders were invited. And for more than four years, the group’s hideout remained undetected. It is at this point in the film director Jeremy Workman (who had been doing a workman-like job up until that point) dramatically shifts gears, fully focusing on Townsend’s other artistic endeavors.

“We are no different than a barnacle on a whale…”

As an interesting, creative guy, Mike used his art to make a positive impact on peoples’ lives by creating temporary art murals — including tape art — at a variety of children’s hospitals and outdoors at the anniversaries of the Oklahoma City and 9/11 bombings to celebrate first responders and survivors. This segment made me cry, as his emotional connections to make a difference are very strong.

And then just as jarringly, the story shifts back to Providence Place Mall. The quiet refuge that either offered a sense of freedom or a self-imposed prison to those involved became an obsession to Townsend, which only ended when he was eventually caught.

“The apartment was the side project to the other stuff…”

I absolutely love this story — it’s one which I knew nothing about and it’s one that very likely could not be replicated today for a variety of reasons. But it is one answer to the question, “What can’t we accomplish without some teamwork?”

While I’ll save Townsend’s legal judgement to be revealed to those who actually watch the film (or search for this real-life story online), I will reveal this is the first time his seven accomplices have come forward and identified themselves. It’s unclear if the statute of limitations has expired for possible criminal punishment, but the story sure is a wild one.

Surprisingly, these artists were well prepared to document their behind-the-scenes adventure, including a sketchbook full of notes (including hiding spots from security), along with a surprising amount of home video footage filmed on a point-and-shoot camera that’s small enough to fit inside an Altoids can.

My only complaint is aimed toward Jeremy Workman, as the film’s tone dramatically changes as the storyline leaves the mall in order to focus on Michael and back again. Those results might not be fully responsible for the filmmaker, as there are 19 producers credited here, but it definitely could have been a smoother transition, to say the least.

By the end of the film, I felt nervous for these somewhat misguided creative types, whose hearts were in the right place, even if the law might disagree. The underlying dread of getting caught for four whole years is something I couldn’t tolerate, as well as keeping the place a secret. I do hope that Secret Mall Apartment makes a good showing during the awards season, as it does highlight some great volunteer/charity work sandwiched in between all the mall nonsense.

Maybe Eisenberg could cash in on his new-found awards and actually limit the number of producers for his next film project. And hopefully his next producing gig could bring another storyline to the big screen that truly appeals to more Children of the ’80s, as well.

“By the time the mall opened, there was a sense that more changes were coming our way. And there was a sense of impending doom.”