ROSEMARY’S BABY IS ONE of those movies that most movie fans, particularly horror lovers would have heard of, such was the critical acclaim attested to it.
Some even citing it as one of the greatest American horror movies ever made.
But does it still stand strong today?

I’ve often had discussions with people about this movie and the one criticism that I hear about it comes down to pace and lack there of.
Is this down to the modern audiences expectations?
So much emphasis is focused on pushing people to the next moment and raising the bar with each scare with a hefty dose of tension thrown into the mix.
So in some cases I find that I agree that this isn’t your high-tension fast-moving drama, BUT, it is a slow-burner.
And probably the best example of how to deliver a psychological thriller with ease, something that director, Roman Polanski is deft at.

And with the superb talent of Mia Farrow as the lead, Rosemary, who discovers that her husband has made a pact with a religious cult and that the father of her baby to be is none other than the dark lord Satan.

There are many issues at play here as Rosemary not only has to deal with the process of what has just occurred in her life but also the very fact that the security that she thought she had in those around her have been false.
With no one to turn to it is inevitable that she would succumb to the dark forces that surround her.
And what’s more, a mother’s intuition would kick in despite her essentially giving birth to the antichrist.

In my view it’s a classic for a reason and deserves viewing even with today’s audience. Rosemary’s Baby is an example of Polanski at his best and serves as a good companion piece to his earlier movie, Repulsion, which I also highly recommend.

– Paul Farrell