Review of Rosemary's Baby (1968) by Paul R — 26 Oct 2013

Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby follows a young couple as they move into a new home. As they settle in and meet their neighbours Rosemary feels that there's something quite peculiar about them and some odd occurrences in the apartment block increase her suspicions.

Whilst trying for a child, Rosemary becomes pregnant and gets increasing more paranoid about her neighbours and the strange occurrences in the block. Mia Farrow is amazing as Rosemary, she gives her all and her performance looks and feels like it's taking every last bit of energy to bring it to the screen.

This film really withstands the test of time, it's a truly scary and very suspenseful film, each silence and awkward moment speaks volumes. It's a horror without the typical moments associated with horror films, there is little to nothing in the way of blood, overt shock or masquerading villains and it relies purely on atmosphere, suspense and mood.

There are plenty of clever and perfectly times hints and suspicions throughout the film which all work towards a fantastic pay off. If you like horror then this is a great example of how it can be done without gratuity and gimmickry.