10 Terrifying Horror Monsters That Only Need A Second To Scar You

Roman Polanski has been persona non grata for a long time now, but there’s no denying he made one of the best horror films of all time in Rosemary’s Baby. Adapted almost verbatim from Ira Levin’s novel (Levin reckons Polanski didn’t know he was allowed to alter the material), the film tells the story of Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), a newlywed who takes a Manhattan apartment where her kooky neighbours are a little too interested in her and her pregnancy.

Inner city cult is a tough sell, but Rosemary’s Baby manages it, with Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer cast as Minnie and Roman Castevet, Rosemary’s meddling neighbours and secret devil-worshipping cult adherents. They indoctrinate her husband Guy (John Cassavetes) and lead her into pregnancy, doing all they can to bring the son of the devil into the world and usher in a nightmare age.

Polanski’s masterstroke is keeping the actual demonic elements to the fringes, with only flashes of what is really going on as Rosemary questions her sanity. Yet one of the film’s most striking images comes early on, at the baby’s conception. With Rosemary drugged and the cult gathered, Satan appears to impregnate her, and we get to see the Beast’s hideous eyes and face in action. It is literally just for a second, but it’s enough to scare the bejesus out of us and ensure we won’t be making friends in the city ever again.