The First Omen releases in the wake of various religious horror films coming to theatres as of late, but where does it sit?
Immaculate, Late Night with the Devil, and The First Omen all have their fair share of devil iconography, but none can share the sometimes prestigious title of “prequel to a beloved classic”.
The First Omen comes out as a prequel to the 1976 film The Omen and despite sharing the moniker, this prequel is far from the strong subtlety and smart writing of the original. Rather, the film is filled with overly virtuous characters and a confused tone that never truly grasps the viewer.
After an unsettling opening hinting that the Catholic Church is up to something sinister, we attach ourselves to Margaret (Nell Tiger Free), a young American woman who’s arrived in Rome just in time to see it all go down. She’s here to pledge her life to the church, but that all goes awry when she starts to uncover the mysterious goings-on around the church.
Margaret is quick to bond with the unruly Carlita (Nicole Sorace), a problem child who is regularly sent to the “bad room” for harming other children. Despite being told to avoid Carlita, Margaret, shackled by her virtuosity, can’t help but sympathise with the pleadings of a hurting girl. The more Margaret prods, the deeper she dives into a world she will never escape from.
Much of the issues in this prequel lie within our protagonist’s questionable decision-making. Often the smarter, more viable route presents itself only for us to fall into the trap of the overly righteous, therefore creating a predictable plot filled with the common wrong decisions you often see in the horror movies.
Outside of the predictable plot, the film does supply us with a hefty amount of 70s Italian vibes that go a long way in creating a suitable atmosphere. Shadows are heavy, and the streets are moody. If you are coming to find horrors to jump out at you, there are plenty of spooky moments to keep you entertained even if the story does not.
Ralph Ineson lends his iconic gravelly voice as Father Brennan and does a great job capturing the chaotic energy of a worried yet informed priest. He does just enough to freak everyone out without actually revealing the necessary information; a perfect company to Patrick Troughton’s performance as Brennan in the original.
The First Omen is a prequel to a 70s classic horror film made for today’s audience. It’s got everything you need to get two hours of scares, but not memorable enough to infiltrate your dreams. On the one hand, it’s a good gauge of how horror films have evolved over the last fifty years, on the other, if you’re itching for more evil nuns, you don’t have to look far.
Fun Fact:
The First Omen was very nearly given an NC-17 rating–largely for the disturbing birthing sequence. But after resubmitting the film to the MPA four times–with the problematic scene still included with every resubmission–the MPA eventually relented when it was cut down from its original 13 seconds to its final form receiving an R rating.
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