Film Review (Sunday Scaries Edition): ‘The First Omen’ is An Intense Prequel with a Lot to Offer

It would be fair to go into The First Omen with a bit of skepticism. After all, while The Omen franchise is well known, it’s mostly known for pop culture taking on the name Damien for all manner of demonic child. The first movie is considered a classic, but the sequels are more or less forgotten. Decades have passed, while the series basically lay dormant. Now, this prequel hits, with prequels in general not inspiring much confidence. So, it’s not just surprising, but also quite pleasing, to state that this flick absolutely slaps.

The First Omen exceeds expectations by never succumbing to what most prequels get lazy about. I’d second those calling it the Rogue One of Omen movies, since it does its own thing, while dovetailing into exactly where the franchise begins. By following the beat of its own drummer, the film spends time with ideas, as well as scares. It’s far more of a full cinematic meal than you might be expecting.

After a prologue that introduces us to a younger version of Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson), we meet our protagonist. Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) is a young American novitiate who has come to Rome to take the vows, on the request of Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy), who assisted her when she was a troubled young orphan. Now, she’ll be doing the same, and she quickly takes an interest in a young girl named Carlita Scianna (Nicole Sorace) who reminds her of herself as a girl.

Almost immediately after going out one night with her roommate Luz (Maria Caballero), strange things begin happening. The more Margaret observes the cruel way that Carlita is treated, as well as the demonic visions she’s having, the more she believes something is amiss. When she’s informed by an excommunicated Father Brennan that some in the church are trying to bring about the antichrist, she’s thrust into a plot where no one fully understands the scope of what’s going on. She’s questioning her faith, sure, but the expanding conspiracy becomes something she can’t ignore, no matter the cost.

Nell Tiger Free does good scream queen work, but she really comes alive in the more dramatic scenes. A sequence where she goes out clubbing with her roommate is not just narratively crucial, but some terrific character work. Watching her deal with her faith, as well as her more base feelings, is fairly compelling to watch. Ralph Ineson never tries to evoke what’s come before (or I suppose, after), but merely just brings the intensity and urgency that the character needs. Bill Nighy knows the assignment, even if his part is fairly small, while Nicole Sorace does strong child actor work. Supporting players include Tawfeek Barhom, Sonia Braga, Ishtar Currie-Wilson, Charles Dance, the aforementioned Maria Caballero, and more, with everyone coming across quite well.

Filmmaker Arkasha Stevenson truly impressed me with her direction. The script put forth by Stevenson, alongside Tim Smith and Keith Thomas (with a Story By credit to Ben Jacoby), follows a lot of horror beats, but the directing is a cut above. There’s a birthing scene that has to be seen in order to be believed, and that’s just one example of filmmaking that goes harder than you’d expect. The film runs a little long and has more jump scares than you need, but Stevenson emerges as a potential new master of horror. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

The First Omen is a demonic good time. You don’t actually have to be familiar with The Omen to appreciate it, but knowing the franchise is certainly not a bad thing. The movie stands on its own and stands tall. Especially if you like horror, this is a surprisingly good fright flick with something to say, as well as a lot to offer fans.

SCORE: ★★★