Classics Review: Rosemary’s Baby

In 1967, novelist, Ira Levin (The Stepford Wives) published a book titled, “Rosemary’s Baby.” It’s about a woman named, Rosemary who moves into an old apartment. She becomes pregnant experiencing paranoia over her neighbors. As the story progresses, her unborn baby might be cursed by a demonic force. The book sold a lot of copies nationwide. One Year Later, Paramount Pictures adapted Rosemary’s Baby into as a full-length film.

Released in 1968, (same year Once Upon a Time in the West came out) the film became a critical and commercial success. In 2012, The Criterion Collection digitally restored Rosemary’s Baby on Blu-Ray. In 2014, the National Film Registry selected the film for preservation in the Library of Congress.

A prequel titled, “Apartment 7A” is now streaming on Paramount Plus. Before I see it, I wanna share my thoughts on Rosemary’s Baby. By the way, I’m also watching and reviewing spooky stuff during Halloween Month 2024. What horror film should I review next? Please leave a comment and don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s review contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t seen it, read at your own risk.

Lifted & Cursed Elements

Lifted: Mia Farrow & John Cassavetes both did a solid job for their respective performances. Mia hasn’t been in anything good since then. She’s forever known as Woody Allen’s ex. YIKES!

Cinematography was shot carefully without suffering from technical issues.

The late Charles Grodin makes a brief appearance as a doctor.

Fun Fact: Famous people such as Julianne Moore, Darren Aronofsky, Julia Garner & Anthony Hopkins mentioned Rosemary’s Baby as their favorite film. Ms. Garner’s also in Apartment 7A.

Cursed: Roman Polanski did a poor job directing. That man’s a POS. Another rapist from Hollywood. I do not condone sexual assault.

Scare Factor never gave me a sense of dread. Failing to pay back taxes is beyond scarier. Just ask Wesley Snipes.

I didn’t care about Rosemary. She’s somewhat forgettable lacking a three-dimensional personality.

Pacing felt like a drab. The plot actually clocks in at the 41-minute mark. Not kidding. First Act’s nothing but talkie talkie. I get it, Rosemary meets her new neighbors, but you gotta play your cards right to let the audience like me get hooked from the get-go. Afterwards, it continues as a slow burn. I stopped watching after the first half to play “Dragon Ball Sparking: Zero.” The next day, I resumed to the second half. Then, it happened. That gosh darn ending.

Ho, boy. The Ending, what can I say about it? We never get a glimpse of the baby’s appearance. Rosemary’s the only one who can see the infant. After all that buildup, the payoff was poorly executed. When I first saw the last scene, I was beyond underwhelmed. Imagine if we never see shark from “Jaws” during the climactic battle? Building suspense is the key ingredient. Once we make it to Act Three, we finally get the shark’s onscreen appearance. Sorry, movie buff, I’m gonna have to Triple Down this con. I want my time back.

The Final Verdict: D-

I’m going to hell for this, Rosemary’s Baby isn’t a masterpiece most critics claim. It’s a poorly written chick flick disguised as a horror film. I’m sorry, Rosemary’s Baby isn’t my cup of tea. Hear me out, I like female driven horror films (if done right) like “Alien,” “X,” “Pearl” & “Black Swan.” They told a better story, character arc, and a well-written female lead who’s not a bossy feminist know-it-all from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Skip this dud in favor of Natalie Portman’s Oscar winning performance in Black Swan. Heck, buy Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. It’s a fun game worth every penny.