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When Michael Townsend and his group of remarkably audacious artists were building out a secret apartment inside the Providence Place Mall, they joked about needing a mailing address for their crash pad to truly be considered a residence. 

This was between 2003 and 2007, after all. How else would they get red envelope deliveries of Netflix DVDs?

Which makes it especially delightful that “Secret Mall Apartment” – the fabulous documentary about the entire saga –  will begin streaming on Netflix this week. In 2025, a mailing address is no longer required and DVDs have gone the way of Blockbuster memberships, but the mall is still very much alive – except for unruly teenagers after 5 p.m.

The hit documentary, which enjoyed an exciting run at movie theaters across the country, will begin streaming on Netflix on Jan. 23. It has already been available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime or Apple TV for months.

The film is the brainchild of director Jeremy Workman, who first met Townsend in Greece. The two became friends, and Townsend shared his fascinating tale about Providence. The artists used a small camera to film some of their antics, and that was enough for Workman to work with. (Jesse Eisenberg signed on as an executive producer.)

Townsend was supposed to be banned for life from the mall, but he was pardoned by the court-appointed receivers of the financially distressed shopping center in 2025. Don’t miss my column on Townsend’s first visit to his old apartment.