MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Supernatural Horror/Stars: Nell Tiger Free, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, Bill Nighy, Tawfeek Barhom, Maria Caballero, Nicole Sorace, Ishtar Currie Wilson, Andrea Arcangeli, Charles Dance/Runtime: 119 minutes
I think it’s safe to say that, among the many movies shown to me by my father when I was growing up, the one that always stuck out to me as being among the weirder ones he liked was none other than the 1976 horror classic The Omen. Not because my dad wasn’t usually an old school horror nut (trust me when I say he definitely was). Rather, it was because I always found it strange how a guy who was, for all intents and purposes, a member of the Catholic Church (even if he hadn’t been to mass for a period of time prior to his passing) could sit and watch this particular horror movie and always enjoy it despite knowing full well what it was about. All funny, yet also perhaps slightly wistful and nostalgic, memories aside, there is no denying that my father’s love for this particular film did also have an impact on his son (or me for those of you not in the know). This is because, in case you hadn’t put four and three together dear reader, I too really love the original Omen. Indeed not only does the cast play their respective parts with skill and class in equal measure, but the slow-burn atmosphere is brilliantly chilling right from the word go, the direction by Richard Donner is superb, the score is perfectly spine-tingling, the rest of the work done behind the camera is phenomenal, and the whole affair feels like we are watching real events rather than events that were conjured up for us via the work of a truly creative writer. Along with the original Omen though, I also have a fondness for Damien: Omen II and The Final Conflict (or Omen 3). Not only because of the time in my life in which I first watched those, but because for all the flaws that both of those slices of cinema possess there are genuinely good things to be found within those particular installments as well. Of course, there was also The Omen IV and the 2006 remake of the first one, but let’s face it: Julia Stiles is no Lee Remick and Liev Schreiber is DEFINITELY no Gregory Peck. As a result, not only did the franchise go (surprisingly for a horror franchise) completely quiet, but for a while there it looked like Damien’s time in the realm of cinema had at long last ended. Of course, as is quite often the rule in horror cinema, just because something looks dead doesn’t mean that’s the case. Perhaps this is why we are now being treated to the new prequel appropriately titled The First Omen. Even more surprising than the fact that Hollywood thought the original Omen needed a prequel is the fact that it’s actually not that bad. To be sure, it does have a few missteps here and there, but with the aid of spookily good work on both sides of the camera The First Omen is a highly uncommon belated installment in a long-running franchise that not only inserts itself quite nicely into what has already been established, but also creates a path that could give this franchise a terrifying new lease on life.
The plot is as follows: The First Omen gets its nightmarish narrative afoot as we witness a conversation between a pair of men who belong to that distinct community known as priests in the Catholic Church. Yet whereas some conversations are ones that are able to start pleasant and stay pleasant or wind up becoming maybe not so pleasant we see that this one is particularly grim and ominous from the start. Why this is the case I cannot say, but what I can say is that this is one conversation that definitely does not end even remotely as well as we would like it to say nothing of just how exactly it ends in the first place…At any rate, we soon move ahead to the time and place of Rome in the long-ago year of 1971 where we quickly meet our heroine in the form of a young woman by the name of Margaret Daino. A young woman who, among other things worth knowing about her, is an American who is engaged in the religious practice of novitiate and has arrived in Rome so that she can undertake her vows at the Vizzardeli Orphanage under the watchful eye of her mentor/surrogate father figure of sorts Cardinal Lawrence. Upon her arrival, we see that our heroine is quick to not only meet and get to know such people around the orphanage as the quiet yet kind Father Gabriel, her fun and flirty roommate Luz, a rather eccentric nun named Sister Angelica (don’t worry: this isn’t Angela Baker from Sleepaway Camp….I don’t think), and the stern yet maternal female superior Sister Silvia, but also finds herself just as quickly crossing paths with a rather unusual mystery. Yet whereas some mysteries take the form of crop circles, secrets found in books only certain world leaders can view, ciphers on the back of historical documents, ships hidden in the Antarctic, and other things that just can’t be explained from either the world around us or National Treasure this one is different. This is because this mystery is one that takes the shape and form of an older child at the orphanage by the name of Carlita Skianna and who everyone else at the orphanage seems to be a wee bit reticent to either interact with to say nothing of just discuss at all. In short: this is a child that, despite the orphanage’s mission of providing the children in their care with love and attention, they would much rather act like she doesn’t exist. Yet when our heroine decides to start interacting with Carlita, we see that not only do strange and creepy things begin to occur, but that we have now unknowingly taken the first steps on a journey. One that, by the time we reach the end, will both reveal long-buried secrets and introduce our heroine, and us, to a dastardly scheme by parties unknown to unleash a nefarious evil into the world. As for what that scheme entails, who is behind it, and the impact it has on our heroine that I will let you discover for yourself….
Now right off, it is worth noting that the work done behind the camera by the various departments on this particular cinematic fright fest is wonderfully (and surprisingly I have no shame in admitting) well-done. This starts with the talented work done at the helm by newcomer Arkasha Stevenson and, for a first-time up at the plate, she pulls it off with a skill and ease I have not seen for this genre since at least either Jordan Peele with 2017’s Get Out or Zach Cregger with 2022’s Barbarian respectively. Indeed perhaps the key things that Stevenson demonstrates so well here are not only a delightful wittiness, a nefarious skill with pacing, or even a phenomenal talent for really playing with what an audience expects to happen in a given moment. Rather, she also showcases for us here a wonderful flair for no more or less than on-screen horror at its finest. Yes, this slice of cinema is very much a slow burn in every sense of the word and yes you might think at first, based off certain elements, that you are watching a film that is less its own thing and more a bit too similar to the original from 1976. However, as we are soon able to see, this is merely to get us readjusted to this particular world as Stevenson begins to pepper the film with an equal degree of death beats that are truly grisly as well as insidiously well-done jump scares that are genuinely spooky all whilst bringing a no hesitation-manner to some moments that are sure to leave you shocked that the studio (now owned by Disney mind you) permitted them to stay in the finished film exactly as is. Along with the fantastic work at the helm by Stevenson, this slice of cinema also benefits immensely from a spot-on musical accompaniment courtesy of the brilliant Mark Korven (1997’s Cube, 2015’s The Witch, and 2019’s The Lighthouse among others). Indeed not only does Korven’s score do a wonderful job of conjuring up a deep and impending sense of dread and ever-rising terror throughout the entirety of the film, but he even makes sure to add in bits of Jerry Goldsmith’s Oscar-winning score from the first film at just the right moments in this one that are sure to have fans of the franchise smiling with twisted glee. We also see that this slice of cinema is aided immensely by brilliant work from the cinematography department especially in regard to its utilization of lighting be it a scene of our heroine making her way through the streets of Rome late at night or one with her and one of the other girls just sitting on a bench at a museum with the two of them a’glow by a circle of light from the sun. Indeed at a period of cinema where a lot of films from a variety of genre are content with just drenching the scene in the dark to establish a given mood, the visuals on display here are (in perhaps the ultimate irony given the subject matter) a bit on the miraculous side. Suffice it to say that when you also incorporate into the mix a deceptively brilliant script as penned by scribe Ben Jacoby (with credit also going to OG Omen writer David Seltzer) there is no denying that the work done behind the camera really does a wonderful job at bringing this terrifying nightmare vividly to life.
Of course, the other element that can either aid or obliterate a slice of cinema (especially one in the horror genre) would have to come in the form of the performances given by the cast of talent assembled in front of the camera to bring the various characters to life. Thankfully for this film, this particular cast of players all manage to do a wonderful job with their respective characters and they all bring them vividly to life no matter how big or small their overall role may be. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with a genuine star-in-the-making performance from Nell Tiger Free (Leanne Grayson from M. Night Shyamalan’s Apple+ show Servant) in the lead role. Indeed as Margaret, Tiger Free does a masterful job of going from this quiet and almost apprehensive young woman who is completely devoted to her faith all the way to this terror-afflicted yet determined and strong individual who is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on no matter what. At the same time though, we also see that Tiger Free also excels at giving this role her absolute all no matter what the film asks of her be it emotionally or even physically for that matter. Indeed, without saying too much, Margaret goes through quite the wringer throughout this film and to have an actress of Tiger Free’s caliber play her really not only makes the character one to empathize with throughout her ordeal, but also worth rooting for as the film goes on as well. We also see that this film is able to back up the truly next-level work done by Tiger Free here with a gallery of impeccable support talent. This starts with Ralph Ineson in the role of Father Brennan (a name Omen franchise fans might recognize). Indeed Ineson (who I have enjoyed since 2015’s The Witch) does a fantastic job at really playing into the character’s anxiety and paranoia whilst also instilling in him a degree of humanity as well. Alongside the work done by Ineson, this slice of cinema also contains a wonderfully nightmarish turn here from Sônia Braga as Sister Silvia. Indeed Braga does a terrific job at not only bringing the necessary gravitas to say nothing of no-nonsense demeanor to the part, but also at being both stern and nothing short of terrifying in equal measure. Lastly I would definitely be amiss if I didn’t take some time in this section to praise the work done by the consistently entertaining Bill Nighy in the role of Cardinal Lawrence. Yes the character does have a habit of just popping in and out of the movie at will and yes I can’t say a whole lot about his role here, but even so Nighy does a terrific job of really providing the character with exactly what he needs in order to work on the level that the film requires the character to for the sake of the narrative being told. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in solid efforts from such talents as Tawfeek Barhom, Maria Caballero, Nicole Sorace, a wonderfully unnerving turn from Ishtar Currie Wilson, and even a pivotal role for the always enjoyable Charles Dance among others it’s clear that this slice of horror cinema (quite ironically) is blessed through the skillful performances given by the roster of performers in front of the camera.
All in all and at the end of the day is The First Omen “2024” a perfect slice of horror cinema? Sadly as astonishing as that would be I am afraid that is not the case here. Having said that however, is this another long-belated horror disappointment in the vein of 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer? Thankfully, to the happiness of both myself to say nothing of my sanity, I can definitely confirm that is not what we are getting with this film (though I’m still holding out hope that we get at least one more great Ellen Burstyn performance). All sarcastic observations aside dear reader, I must confess that this slice of horror cinema actually managed to surprise me with how genuinely good it turned out to be. To be sure, there is a reveal here that is sure to make some people more than just a wee bit irked (you’ll know it when you hear it) and if you are the kind of person who gets sick easily then you might want to bring a safety bag because this film is definitely not for the easily nauseated amongst us. At the same time however, the work done behind the camera is absolutely impeccable in both bringing us into the world of the film whilst also scaring the absolute daylights out of us and the work done in front of the camera by the undeniably talented cast of players is nothing short of remarkable in its own right especially in regard to the work done by Tiger Free which I hope is less a one and done and more just the beginning chapter to what will one day be viewed as a truly legendary career. Suffice it to say then that it may have needed to wind the clock back in order to find new life on the silver screen, but there is no denying that The First Omen is the spine tingling and delightfully spooky entry that the Omen franchise needed in order to rise up from its cinematic grave and wreak havoc on all of us once more. Just make sure when you see it that you keep an eye out for a little boy with black hair and a giant rottweiler dog by his side. Trust me when I say that you might want to think twice about stepping into that theater should that pair be in there. Make of that what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give The First Omen a solid 3.5 out of 5.
