When I was a very young child (probably 4 or 5),my parents took my brother and me to the drive-in to see this film! Looking back, this was NOT a good plan, as ROSEMARY'S BABY is one of the most chilling films of the 1960s and probably warped me for life! Many years later, I finally got to see the entire film. That's because when I was a kid, I hid my face during so much of the film--especially when they talked about a child of Satan--just the sort of thing to freak out a little boy or girl!! And WOW was I glad I finally got to see this one, as it wasn't nearly as scary as I'd thought and it was also an exceptionally well-written and chilling film.

Mia farrow and her husband, John Cassavetes, move into a strange apartment building due to the oddball residents. Some are quite welcoming and sweet and others seem like extras from the movie ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST! The more weirdness that occurs, the more Rosemary worries about staying there. A bit later, she has a weird but super-realistic dream where she's raped. Oddly, a short time later, Rosemary discovers she's pregnant! From here on, it's one wild and scary ride--with some wonderful twists and surprises that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Usually, I avoid devil movies. Partly this could be because of my Baptist upbringing and partly because I think many of these films are just silly. However, this one is far from silly--being exceptionally well-written, suspenseful and designed for intelligent viewers instead of dull-witted thrill-seekers. Great direction, music, acting, etc.--this film has them all.

For me, alongside Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby is one of Roman Polanski's best films. As with all of Polanski's movies, it is very well-made and directed. The cinematography is both striking and atmospheric, with lighting that always helps to enhance the mood, while the music and sound effects are haunting and the story is compelling.

The script is yet another strength, all the psychological horror is there and done with genuinely unnerving effect, it has plenty of paranoia mixed with the odd bit of morbid humour. I couldn't have asked for better acting either. Mia Farrow is in I feel her best performance here, and she is an ideal satanic foil.

John Cassevetes is suitably selfish and frustrated, and then there's Ruth Gordon who is wonderfully eccentric and in a menacing sense. Overall, a chilling psychological horror that to me is still very effective. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Polanski's undisputed classic of the horror genre fully deserves the status that it holds. This is a film packed with tension and understated terror that expertly wrings maximum unease from the audience via some great performances and an oppressive atmosphere of fear and distrust. Polanski's direction really draws out the claustrophobic confines of the apartment in which most of the action takes place, and the literate script brings to mind earlier classics like THE SEVENTH VICTIM which substituted atmosphere and style over special effects and clichés. Creepy, suspenseful, thoughtful, intelligent...these are just some of the words that can be used to describe this film.

Mia Farrow is very good as the film's lead; brilliantly conveying paranoia and mistrust as she becomes convinced of the devil cult around her. Her physical alteration halfway through the film comes as a great shock. John Cassavetes expertly conveys charisma and ambition as her actor husband; and yet there's always something slightly sinister about him too. The supporting cast here are particularly good, indeed not one person puts a foot wrong. Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer excel as the friendly neighbourhood Satanists, not of the usual variety. Maurice Evans is excellent in a sympathetic turn as a family friend. And it's great to see cameos from genre veterans Elisha Cook Jr. and William Castle (ironically this film was his biggest success... as a producer).

Most young film fans will undoubtedly find this movie to be hard going; I did too, in places, although not as bad as I thought it was going to be. The running time clocks in at just over two and a quarter hours, so there's a lot to get through. The total lack of effects, violence and action actually succeeds in making this a greater film; their exclusion brings it closer to reality that it might have been otherwise. Made in an age when characterisation and plot were more important than CGI and one-liners, ROSEMARY'S BABY is arguably Polanski's best film and a true genre classic.