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Long before films like “The Omen” tackled the hot-button issue of infants that may or may not be the antichrist, director Roman Polanski did it with 10 times the style in 1968’s “Rosemary’s Baby.” Everything appears idyllic for newlyweds Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy (John Cassavetes) when they move into their new apartment, save for the annoying elderly couple (Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer) that lives next door. When Guy befriends them just as his stagnant acting career suddenly flourishes, a newly pregnant Rosemary becomes suspicious, her worries only increasing when a family friend goes comatose. Just as she begins to voice her concerns, Rosemary’s pregnancy experiences numerous complications, raising the possibility that her baby may somehow be involved.

“Rosemary’s Baby” may be Polanski’s masterpiece, imbuing his film with an ever-growing tension while fully immersing us in Rosemary’s world. Farrow turns in the defining performance of her career as the beautiful but haunted titular character. Gordon, meanwhile, creates a character that would be equally at home in a Florida retirement community as in a satanic cult.