The First Omen (2024)

​“The First Omen” stars Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy. Released on April 5, 2024, the film has a woman uncovering a frightening conspiracy at a Roman Church.

The film was directed by Arkasha Stevenson, a former journalist who directed episodes of “Legion” and Briarpatch” and helmed the third season of “Channel Zero”. It is a prequel to the 1976 horror classic “The Omen”. Many people born in the 1970s usually remember the decade when they first experienced the true terror of the horror genre. One of the movies that revitalized the genre during the 70s involved an exorcist that struck fear into the audience and even the people who worked on it. The other has a seemingly nice young boy hiding a sadistic secret that’ll make believers in faith wet their pants. The one I’m referring to is “The Omen”, a tension-filled supernatural classic by Richard Donner that warns viewers of the dangers of the Antichrist. Its cultural impact and religious themes resulted in “The Omen” becoming an iconic franchise consisting of three underwhelming sequels, a 2006 remake, and a 2016 television series titled “Damien” that was canceled after one season. The latter would’ve been the last time we see the Antichrist haunting our religious goodwill. That is until we heard that the greater evil has returned with a prequel that depicts its impending birth. Was it able to recapture the holy terror of the original, or should the Antichrist remain in Hell where it belongs? Let’s find out.

The story follows Margaret Daino (Free), a young American woman sent to Rome to begin her life of service to the church. She works at the Vizzardeli Orphanage, run by its Abbess, Sister Silvia (Braga). As the days pass, Margaret eventually finds that her religious path isn’t as easygoing as she thought, as strange, questionable events occur around the Catholic Church when she meets an estranged young girl named Carlita (Nicole Sorace). She soon discovers that the church is plagued with a conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist. As a result, Margaret must find a way to expose the church’s unholy secret before the ritual is complete.

Like my experiences with other horror classics like “The Exorcist”, my knowledge of “The Omen” is as minuscule as a fly. I rarely watched the 1976 classic and never watched any of the sequels. But I watched the 2006 remake once, so that should be enough to know what I’m getting myself into for the prequel. I didn’t have much faith in “The First Omen” for several reasons. One was that it looked like another basic supernatural horror film from the trailers, and the movie just seemingly appeared out of nowhere, at least from my perspective. Regardless, I was willing to judge this one fairly because I’m better than the demons who always judge things by their appearances. However, like my experiences with the other horror movies of the past year, I kept my expectations low for “The First Omen” despite the film receiving some surprisingly positive reviews. After viewing it myself, I actually found myself on the same page as those glowing reviews.

“The First Omen” has the usual makings of a supernatural horror film, especially one involving religion. You have the unexplainable series of incidents plaguing the characters, the information exploring this phenomenon, and the mystery surrounding it that leads to the shocking truth. It’s what you would expect out of a film depicting unsettling terror in the religious realm or any other movie with a supernatural presence. While that may be the case at first glance, the film also offers a surprising amount of effort in its quality to avoid being condemned by the cinematic horror gods. This is another modern horror movie that took advantage of its tried-and-true narrative to deliver on its concept: a terrifying and often unsettling depiction of anti-religion. Admittedly, it doesn’t reinvent the genre wheel with its storytelling, but the prequel does breathe new life into a horror franchise possessed by low-quality sequels.

One of the reasons for its success was its direction. Instead of following the basics of a Blumhouse horror movie, “The First Omen” goes for a more slow-burning and somewhat stylish approach to its mystery and frights while maintaining some of the genre’s traditional tricks. It’s like a mixture of A24 horror vibes with modern scares, meaning fewer jump scares and more of its unnerving imagery. Since it’s based on a popular IP like “The Omen”, I see this as a risky gamble that may not go over well with those hoping for another straightforward scary movie filled with annoying jump scares and gory kills. There’s also the matter of its runtime, which clocks in at exactly two hours long, explaining its slow pacing. “Halloween Ends” attempted to provide this mixture, but unfortunately, it didn’t bode very well for the hardcore fans. Fortunately, “The First Omen” avoided this similar fate by delivering jump-scare-less frights that were actually frightening. Despite resorting to the franchise’s playbook periodically and its unnecessary length, “The First Omen” works as another haunting gateway to slow-burn, stylized horror that’s also visually surreal and discomforting.

The film marked the feature directorial debut of television director Arkasha Stevenson, which is usually one of the signs of a horror movie’s impending disaster. That’s not to say she’s a bad choice to direct the film as she seemingly has a healthy track record in her filmography, including her two short films “Vessels” and “Pineapple”. So, it made me curious about her approach to directing a movie and the “Omen” brand itself compared to her work on television. To my surprise, I thought Stevenson did very well with what she delivered. Regarding the atmospheric tension and nightmarish sceneries, Arkasha Stevenson provides a sense of dread and darkness that overshadows the genre’s usual setbacks, especially the scares. The movie also benefitted profoundly from Aaron Morton’s cinematography, visual effects, and Mark Korven’s creepily delightful score, emphasizing a religion’s dark side. Many people believe that horror movies must be full of jump scares and excessive gore to be truly terrifying. However, this is not always the case. Some of the most spine-chilling horror films rely on the fear of the unknown, such as the supernatural or the unexplained. Even seemingly holy entities, which are typically thought of as safe and protective, can become excellent sources of terror in the proper context. By playing on these primal fears, filmmakers like Stevenson can create a truly immersive and terrifying experience for their audiences, and "The First Omen" is another solid example of this theory. 

Nell Tiger Free, recently known for her television works like “Servant” and “Game of Thrones”, leads a suitable cast whose talents are as holy as a Roman Church. Free’s performance as Margaret delivered an engaging mixture of innocence and fear that would make audiences feel they were in the same situation as her. This was my first exposure to the young actress, mainly because I don’t watch much television, and based on what I’ve seen from her, it surely won’t be my last. Ralph Ineson and Bill Nighy also made their presences work regarding their performances as Father Brennan and Cardinal Lawrence, respectively.  

Overall, “The First Omen” damns its naysayers by delivering a worthy and nightmarish prequel that’s more on style and discomfort than third-rate horror annoyance. Its genre formula is anything but holy, and its two-hour runtime can be bothersome for most horror fans regarding its pacing and risky approach. Regardless, it’s another occurrence where a seemingly basic horror movie, let alone a prequel, puts more effort into its concept and quality than most scary films involving the supernatural, resulting in a surprisingly decent addition to the genre. Don’t you love it when a film surpasses our low expectations? I sure do. More importantly, the film is a much-needed improvement for the middling franchise due to its cast, Stevenson’s direction, stylish presentation, and unnerving frights. If you’re looking for another scare-your-pants-off experience and are a fan of the “Omen” movies, this film may depend on how you feel about its slow pacing and lack of jump scares. But I can see it impressing those wanting a genuinely good religion-themed horror movie.

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