The 2024 prequel film The First Omen (2024) stands out for one reason only. It delights in clobbering the audience on the head. Suffering from the syndrome of not believing that the folks watching your film will “get it.”
Arkasha Stevenson directs and co-writes this forerunner to the 1976, groundbreaking, horror offering The Omen. *”Groundbreaking” as it was released on 6 June 1976. It also was the first horror film to star a Hollywood “A lister” – Gregory Peck. His co star was also in the upper echelons of Hollywood royalty: Lee Remick.*
*Side note: The film was remade with Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles as the politicos who discover their child has numbers on his head. While it was entertaining, it could not replicate the original.*
Sadly, neither does The First Omen.
the story
Margaret returns to the orphanage where she started life. The facility is in Italy. The young American woman, who is about to start her life of service in the Church is in for the shock of her life.
behind the camera
Stevenson does a good enough job of connecting the dots here. However, as the opening paragraph states, he overdoes it. The ending of the film is brilliant though. It actually gave me goosebumps. However, the extended bit beyond the taxi journey was overplaying it. I may be wrong, but the first “Omen” is a classic. The added bit of slamming our face into it was unnecessary.
The VFX was great however. Kudos here for the almost replication of that weathervane shot from the original.
Aaron Morton as cinematographer gives us a dark visual feast. Editing by Amy E. Duddleston and Bob Murawski has an almost surgical precision for a horror film.
back in time
The look and feel of The First Omen is spot on. As someone who was around in ’68, it felt all too real. The cars, fashion, the politics and the predicament of the Church came across brilliantly in the film.
the cast
Nell Tiger Free is Margaret.
Ralph Ineson is Father Brannan.
Sonia Braga is Sister Silva.
Tawfeek Barhom is Father Gabriel.
Maria Caballero is Luz.
Charles Dance is Father Harris.
Bill Nighy is Cardinal Lawrence.
Nicole Sorace is Carlita.
Ishtar Currie-Wilson is Sister Anjelica.
Andrea Arcangeli is Paolo.
Casting is king and queen
Firstly; it is a huge accomplishment to have both Charles Dance and Bill Nighy in The First Omen. Free shines as the naive novice returning home to take her vows. Braga is intimidating and Ineson is a good fit for the excommunicated Clergic.
Sorace is spot on as the “damaged” Carlita and Arcangeli impresses as the doomed Paolo.
The stand out here is, however, Currie Wilson as Sister Anjelica. She creeps the everloving pants off the viewer. Although she does replace the “nanny” in the ’76 film. That said; the old jumping out the window with a rope round your neck is still startling.
The problem
Stevenson grabs us by the nose and leads us through The First Omen like blind children. He does not allow us the privilege of figuring out the most banal clues. We are taken down an almost redundant path as it is obvious where the film is heading from nearly the first reel.
It does, albeit barely, work. We feel Margaret’s fear, pain and determination. We just did not need to be bludgeoned with a plot that was a forgone conclusion.
the verdict
The First Omen earns an easy 3.5 stars. While it is somewhat better than the three original trilogy films; the last one starring a much younger Sam Neill, it only just manages to keep its metaphorical head above water. It is streaming on Hulu at the moment.
the trailer
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