The First Omen – Movie Review
Director: Arkasha Stevenson
Writer: Tim Smith, Arkasha Stevenson, Keith Thomas (Screenplay)
Writer: Ben Jacoby (Story)
Cast
- Nell Tiger Free (Servant)
- Ralph Ineson (The Creator)
- Sonia Braga (The Jesus Rolls)
- Tawfeek Barhom (The Rhythm Section)
- Maria Caballero
- Charles Dance (Last Action Hero)
- Bill Nighy (Living)
Plot: A young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.
Runtime: 2 Hours
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The First Omen starts when Margaret (Free) heads to Rome to complete her preparations to become a Nun. She was raised in the church and carefully prepared for this moment. However, she starts to see unusual behavior around the church once she arrives.
It doesn’t take long before Father Brennan (Ineson) warns her of a great danger in the church. Margaret must figure out what is happening before the conspiracy is revealed.
Verdict on The First Omen
The First Omen is a horror prequel to the iconic horror figure. It takes us back to explore where Damian came from in the first place. We get to follow a young woman getting sent to Rome and she uncovers a bigger conspiracy.
This trends the same lines many times, with the sequences that have become iconic from the original. Only they amped them up for a more modern cinematic experience. There are creepy moments, and it does create a wider conspiracy within the church. However, it falls more into a world that we have seen before, without bringing too much freshness. I will also say the open sequence feels more like a Final Destination movie.
Final Thoughts –The First Omen is one of the better entries in the franchise.