Rosemary’s Baby (18)
Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)
Rosemary’s Baby stands as a seminal work in the horror genre, not merely for its suspenseful narrative but for its profound exploration of societal and psychological anxieties.
Dodgy Roman Polanski’s direction meticulously crafts a pervasive atmosphere of unease, using subtle visual cues and disquieting soundscapes to immerse the audience in Rosemary’s growing sense of isolation and vulnerability. He might be a class A wrongun but he sure could make movies…
Mia Farrow delivers an extraordinary performance, her portrayal of Rosemary’s descent into paranoia and helplessness serving as a powerful critique of patriarchal control, bodily autonomy, and the manipulation of women’s reproductive rights. The film deftly blurs the line between supernatural horror and psychological thriller, leaving the audience questioning the nature of reality and complicity. Its enduring relevance can be attributed to this thematic complexity, elevating it beyond a conventional horror narrative to a sophisticated meditation on trust, betrayal, and the sinister forces that can lurk within ordinary lives. The chilling climax lingers long after viewing, a testament to its status as a true cinematic masterpiece of its time.
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(5 - Devilishly good stuff!)
Apartment 7A (15)
dir. Natalie Erika James
Making prequel / side-quelles to classic films is a fraught endeavour…
Rosemary’s Baby is rightly considered one of the classic horror films, playing perfectly on the ‘70s Satanic Panic feeling.
Here we have the tale of a character from the first film and her backstory / which is expanded into, even if we know how it will end.
Could this possibly be a decent companion to the OG? I mean for every mildly effective First Omen, there are lots of subpar Exorcist prequels etc…
Apartment 7A has a secret weapon tho, Julia ‘Ozark’ Garner who is superb in this as the ambitious dancer who unwittingly becomes part of a satanist plot.
There are some really excellent shots and frames, the vibe is very much like the original and the plot cracks along.
This might not be remembered as a classic but it sure stands as a decent spooky flick in its own right, and doesn't sully the original!
...unlike the 1976 sequel...
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(4 - Cool, confident addition to the Rosemary-verse)
Look What Happened to Rosemary’s Baby (TVM)
dir. Sam O'Steen
Well in the light of the absolute classic original, Director Sam O’Steen (who edited the first film) makes a cash grab and goes full bizarro with the sequel that shrugs off the psychological slow-burn and instead says, “Let’s get weird!”
The satanic horror of the first film gets 70s TV movie camped up, oddball dream sequences, budget Satanic cult swingers —and a satanic bus straight to hell!?
This is Rosemary’s Baby on a heady dose of 70s psychedelia, and while it’s nowhere near as polished as its predecessor, it’s oddly entertaining.
Patti Duke steps into Rosemary’s shoes this time around as the mom of the Antichrist Adrian but is no Mia Farrow. There is some charm in the unapologetically campy atmosphere though - it’s like Rosemary’s Baby went to a 70s costume party and stayed just a bit too long. What makes it fun— is that it isn’t afraid to get strange and have a good time with its premise. So sit back, enjoy the Satanic weirdness, just don’t expect it to make much sense!
It even sets up a possible second sequel but I think I’d rather see an Omen cross-over where Damien cage fights Adrian for the title of Antichrist champion!!
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(2.5 - Worth a look but don't get your hopes up!)
Read my day-to-day film-watching review over here: https://letterboxd.com/Cleric20/
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