A Celebrated Horror Film With a Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Now on Paramount+

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This beloved picture follows titular character Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and her husband, Guy (John Cassavetes), as they move into vintage apartment building the Bramford. During their stay there, the young couple meets Minnie and Roman Castevet (Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer), a seemingly friendly older couple who we eventually learn are harboring their fair share of secrets. When Rosemary learns that she is with child, she’s initially elated, but following a series of unforeseen complications, her pregnancy becomes a literal hell on earth.

Rosemary’s Baby Is a Standout Effort That More Than Earns Its Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score

The film was met with much acclaim when it first bowed before audiences in 1968, and little has changed since. If anything, this feature is even more beloved by modern audiences. Both movie lovers and film scholars connected with the picture’s expert-level tension-building. Director Polanski utilizes long takes and closely cropped shots to pull the viewer into the proceedings and unnerve them in the process. He additionally employs an eerie score by Krzysztof Komeda that features a series of discordant interpretations of the lullaby Rosemary sings early on in the film.

The aforementioned lullaby features prominently throughout, unnerving viewers with a sense of cognitive dissonance because the initially innocent sounding melody gradually grows more intense and cacophonous as the narrative builds to a crescendo. It is subtle flourishes like that which elevate this picture to the level of greatness.

Polanski proves a master of his craft by largely eschewing jump scares and brutal acts of unseemly violence and instead builds tension by gradually making us question our sanity. Like Rosemary, audience members begin to wonder what’s real and what’s imagined. The sense of paranoia and distrust continues to grow throughout, ultimately culminating in an unforgettable denouement that plays out like a swift punch to the gut.

In addition to supremely effective tension building and a rather subtle approach to crafting terror, the film also features stellar performances across the board. Among the most memorable of the bunch is Farrow as Rosemary. She brings a fragility and a vulnerability to the role likely to inspire the viewer to want to protect her from harm. That makes it all the more harrowing as we watch Rosemary unwittingly hurled into one nightmare after another.

Gordon is just as compelling in her standout turn as Ruth. In an Oscar-winning showing, Gordon proves both maternal and menacing, showing a profound sense of duality. She effectively keeps viewers on their toes as she gives us reason to think she might be harmless, only to suddenly give us cause to think otherwise.

The kind of duality Gordon’s character shows speaks to a greater theme in Rosemary’s Baby. As critics have pointed out, we see this in the battle between good and evil, religion and the occult, honesty versus deception, and more. That juxtaposition often proves uncomfortable, subjecting viewers to opposing extremes without a lot of clarity until the point at which all is revealed.

On the whole, Rosemary’s Baby is a standout effort that has stood the test of time, remaining a celebrated classic nearly 60 years on from its initial release. The film still resonates thanks to palpable tension established through unsettling camerawork and editing, as well as a growing sense of paranoia that only becomes more uncomfortable with each passing moment. Not to mention, the core performances are immersive and engaging. If you now find yourself eager to experience this critically acclaimed effort, you can do precisely that with a Paramount+ membership.

What are your thoughts on Rosemary’s Baby? Do you agree with the general consensus that it’s a stone-cold classic? Let us know in the comments section below.