Rosemary’s Baby is Immaculate

Authors

• Alana L. Lee, University of Georgia

Abstract

This essay examines the legacy of Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and its influence on modern horror media, specifically Michael Mohan’s Immaculate (2024). Cinematography, plot devices, and thematic parallels in both films depict the ritualization of women’s bodily autonomy within religious and patriarchal power structures. While Immaculate effectively draws on its predecessor's inspiration, its reliance on poor-quality horror tropes negates its critical perception and originality. This essay examines the films’ various portrayals of reproductive abuse, such as marital rape in Rosemary’s Baby, and forced in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Immaculate. These abuses are explored as different methods of control over women in the horror genre that reflect the cultural norms of their respective eras. In comparison, Hollywood’s tendency to critique misogynistic systems while continuing to produce films about them is highlighted. The analysis interprets Immaculate’s success as a result of both updating the pregnancy horror sub-genre for a modern audience and reproducing themes from Rosemary’s Baby, revealing that familiarity can both help and hinder a film’s message.

Recommended Citation

Lee, Alana L. (2026) "Rosemary’s Baby is Immaculate," RhetTech: Vol. 8, Article 7.
Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/rhettech/vol8/iss1/7