8 Great Horror Movies Unfairly Snubbed At The Oscars

Roman Polanski’s slow-build satanic headf*ck is a masterpiece by any measure. Based on the 1967 novel by Ira Levin, Rosemary’s Baby is to be avoided at all costs by mothers-to-be.

Once seen and never forgotten, the film is so scary because it is so firmly rooted in our everyday world, free from fantastical trimmings and powered by mesmerising performances from its four key players (Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer).

The film follows Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, a young married couple who movie into a Gothic Manhattan apartment building with a troubled history. Guy, a struggling actor, becomes fast friends with neighbours Roman and Minnie, an elderly couple whose behaviour grows increasingly disturbing as the story unfolds.

The film is particularly famous for its demonic rape scene, in which Rosemary ‘dreams’ she is sexually attacked by a non-human entity. Soon after, she discovers she is pregnant and her neighbours begin to take an unhealthy interest in her unborn child. Meanwhile, Guy’s acting career goes from strength to strength. Almost as if he’s made a pact with the Devil.

Ruth Gordon’s performance as the friendly/diabolical Minne Castevet was so perfect that even the Academy couldn’t help but recognise her. She walked away with the film’s only Oscar. In 2014, Rosemary's Baby was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” It was also one of Stanley Kubrick’s favourite movies.

Oscars: 1 (Best Supporting Actress)