10 Great Horror Movies Over 2 Hours Long
3. Rosemary's Baby
Ira Levin's novel, Rosemary's Baby, deals with a woman trying for a baby with her husband after moving into a new home. But when she falls pregnant, she suspects some supernatural force has taken over her unborn child.
Levin's novel was a hit, becoming the most successful horror book of the 1960s. It was so popular, it only took a year before it was adapted into a movie. The adaptation had a lot to live up to since Levin's work was regarded as a perfectly crafted thriller. Because the story deals with Satanism and the Antichrist, many people assumed the film would tone down these elements, diluting the story's impact.
However, the film managed to surpass the book in terms of story and horror. Although you wish Rosemary's Baby was shorter, it's not because it's boring - it's because it's so nerve-wracking. Watching Rosemary losing her grip on reality as she's tormented from every angle leaves the viewer feeling like a nervous wreck.
What makes the film so tense is not by what is shown, but by what is implied. Even though we never witness Rosemary's newborn, her horrified reaction to the child leaves audiences feeling queasy more than any visual could.