'Rosemary's Baby': A Cult Classic Horror That Changed the Genre 58 Years Ago
What would you do if your neighbors had nefarious plans for your pregnancy? 58 years ago, a cult classic was beginning its theatrical run, and it delved into this very question. Premiering on June 12, 1968, Rosemary's Baby was an unsettling psychological horror that laid the groundwork for contemporary films in the genre. Thematically, the movie explored the occult, Catholicism, and women's liberation (it's unfortunate that its writer and director is a not-so-great person).
Roman Polanski wrote and directed Rosemary's Baby, adapting Ira Levin's 1967 novel of the same name. It stars Mia Farrow as the titular Rosemary Woodhouse, John Cassavetes as Guy Woodhouse, Ruth Gordon as Minnie Castevet, Sidney Blackmer as Roman Castevet, Maurice Evans as Hutch, and Ralph Bellamy as Dr. Sapirstein. The horror flick grossed $33.4 million at the box office on a $3.2 million budget, becoming a massive financial success for Paramount Pictures.
A synopsis, for the uninitiated:
"A young wife comes to believe that her offspring is not of this world. Waifish Rosemary Woodhouse and her struggling actor husband Guy move to a New York City apartment building with an ominous reputation and odd neighbors, Roman and Minnie Castavet. When Rosemary becomes pregnant, she becomes increasingly isolated, and the diabolical truth is revealed only after Rosemary gives birth."
Critically, Rosemary's Baby was well received, with reviews hailing it as "an excellent version of Ira Levin's diabolical chiller novel" as well as "absorbing," "suspenseful," and "unnerving." As of writing, the film sits at an impressive 97% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer and 87% on the Popcornmeter. It scored two Oscar nominations for Best Screenplay-Based on Material from Another Medium for Polanski and Best Supporting Actress for Gordon, the latter of whom won.
Rosemary's Baby is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror movies of all time. The Guardian ranked it at No. 2 on its list of "The 25 Best Horror Films of All Time." Collider also included Rosemary's Baby on its "8 Most Universally Acclaimed Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked" list. Meanwhile, The Standard slotted it in at No. 8 on its 2025 list of "The 10 Best Horror Movies of All Time."
The film spawned a franchise in the decades to come, including the 1976 sequel Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby, a 2014 miniseries, and the 2024 prequel feature Apartment 7A.
Do you consider Rosemary's Baby to be a staple of the horror genre?
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 11:47 AM.