A One Mann’s Movies review of “The First Omen” (2024).
1976’s “The Omen” is a horror classic, starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick and featuring a phenomenally scary soundtrack by the great Jerry Goldsmith. Now, nearly 50 years later, we have a sequel finding out how the antichrist – Damien – came into being.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Margaret (Nell Tiger Free), a young American woman, arrives in Rome to take her vows at a convent there. But she finds dark goings on around a young woman in her teaching care, Carlita Scianna (Nicole Sorace), who spends long periods imprisoned in her room.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong horror, sexual threat, gore, violence, nudity, suicide”.
Talent:
Starring: Nell Tiger Free, Nicole Sorace, Maria Caballero, Bill Nighy, Ishtar Currie-Wilson, Ralph Ineson, Charles Dance.
Directed by: Arkasha Stevenson.
Written by: Tim Smith, Arkasha Stevenson and Keith Thomas. (Story by Ben Jacoby and based on characters created by David Seltzer.)
Twitter Handle: #TheFirstOmen.
Running Time: 1h 59m.
Game of Thrones allumnus Nell Tiger Free stars as the troubled nun Margaret. (Source: 20th Century Studios).
“The First Omen” Review:
Positives:
- There are some good female performances in here with Nell Tiger Free as Margaret, Maria Caballero as a fellow nun due to take her vows, Nicole Sorace as the troubled teen and Ishtar Currie-Wilson playing a spooky nun who meets a fiery end!
- There’s a twist in the story that I didn’t see coming and was quite enjoyable.
- It’s a bit clunky but having a photo of Gregory Peck in the final scenes nicely segues in this prequel to the original 1976 film. (I wonder if they had to pay anything to the estate to use that?)
- Charles Dance is fun in an opening cameo. This is actually one of only a few sequences that really ‘feels’ like the original film.
Negatives:
- Those of a nervous disposition might feel differently, but I personally found it a highly unscary film. All of the jump scares are well-signposted.
- Bill Nighy feels rather mis-cast as the kindly bishop.
- Given the stakes at hand, the finale feels very slapdash. (“Oh I’m sure it’s alright… they’ll both definitely be gonners!”)
Nun but the manic. Ishtar Currie-Wilson is memorable as Sister Anjelica. (Source: 20th Century Studios).
Summary Thoughts on “The First Omen”
I mean…. it’s OK. But its nothing I won’t forget in a few months time. In fact, I’m a week late in writing this up and the details are already becoming foggy. I understand from my “Flickering Dreams” colleagues, that the recent “Immaculate” with Sydney Sweeney told an almost identical story and was much, much better.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “The First Omen”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4xk8yLiFwM .
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