While most long-running horror franchises struggle to recapture the magic of their original films with underwhelming sequels and reboots, The First Omen defies those odds.
As a prequel to the 1976 cult classic The Omen, this latest entry emerges as the best new addition to the Damien Thorn/Antichrist storyline since the franchise began.
Unlike many 70s/80s horror flicks with smaller, contained narratives, The Omen series always played on a grander, more epic scale. It centered on the birth of the Antichrist and his path to becoming a figure of immense power and influence as an adult. The First Omen smartly explores the unholy origins preceding Damien’s arrival.
Set in 1971 Rome, the film follows American novitiate Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) who begins having disturbing visions upon arriving at a local orphanage to take her vows. Her quest to understand these supernatural occurrences leads to uncovering dark secrets protected by the orphanage’s leaders.
While inevitably linked to the franchise’s established lore, director Arkasha Stevenson crafts The First Omen to work as a gripping, eerie standalone horror film in its own right. She deftly builds an unsettling atmosphere through grotesque visuals and ingenious callbacks to iconic deaths from the original Omen.
Rather than overloading with excessive mythology or jump scares, Stevenson keeps audiences on edge through masterfully extended sequences of tension and dread. Her restraint allows the sense of looming evil to steadily escalate.
Anchoring the narrative is Nell Tiger Free’s compelling performance as the tormented Margaret. Her vulnerability and determination to seek the truth make her a fully realized protagonist worth following down the film’s dark path.
You can watch the trailer for The First Omen below.
