REVIEW: The First Omen

The job of a prequel is a tricky one. Not only does it need to maintain the same vibes as the original, but would also need to freshen things up. Most importantly, it must not insult the legacy of the original.

Arkasha Stevenson's The First Omen mostly succeeds on all counts, but prepare yourself for a slow burn.

Nell Tiger Free shows immense talent as Margaret, a nun protege sent to Rome in preparation to take her vows. Much like in 2024's "Immaculate", her joy is short lived, as the church isn't what it's cracked up to be. A very cryptic opening scene involving the magnificent Charles Dance tees things up perfectly.

The actual storyline takes a while to come into focus, but when it does, it's beautifully done. I did feel it takes an awful long time to get there, though. The motives behind the antagonists are horrifying and seemed a little too possible for my liking. 

Stevenson's imagery and use of music are about as skillful as a director can get. Some are awe inspiring, some terrifying, and some are downright disgusting. You know the one I mean.

Nell Tiger Free is given the arduous task of being the glue to hold the madness together, and she gives such a fearless and confident performance. Even when her physical acting is strongly put to the test, she never once crosses over into the absurd, which really is high praise, given what was required of her. 

One of the greatest strengths of the original Omen, was the feeling of absolute dread no matter where the characters found themselves. This one diverts a bit from that angle, and it was a somewhat missed. 

This is highly recommended if you have the patience to get to the goods. It's ominous, haunting, and incredibly well made. The devil's in the details, and they missed very few.

HORR SCORE: There is a dreadful feeling throughout, paired well with Free's fantastic performance. The scares are more subtle than in your face.

GORE SCORE: This really isn't that type of movie, but when there is violence, it's pretty gruesome. Some artistic imagery is pure nightmare fuel. One almost landed them the dreaded NC17, and it shows.