'The First Omen' (2024) Reaction

This past spring saw the theatrical releases of Immaculate and The First Omen, two religious horror films cleverly and appropriately unleashed shortly before Easter. It’s not very often that two new movies are released in close proximity to each other while also containing narrative and aesthetic similarities, but the horror genre’s never exactly been known for following the status quo. What’s even more impressive is that both films in this situation are equally worth the time and attention of the viewer, as opposed to one movie being a cheap and ineffective imitation of the other. The former easily cemented its status as an original masterpiece and one of the best films of 2024, and the latter is a fantastic contribution from an established and iconic franchise.

As a prequel to the original 1976 hit The Omen, The First Omen is one of the few horror prequels with any real merit to it, meaning that it actually offered something new to the franchise in a way that was both compelling for the audience and respectful to the original. While some viewers may have not seen the original first installment before watching this latest prequel and it’s not exactly necessary to do so, the prior knowledge definitely enhances the experience because it’s fun to keep track of how things tie in with the rest of the franchise, with perhaps the most obvious example being the utilization of the original Omen theme.

Narratively, it’s difficult to discuss The First Omen without making comparisons to Immaculate, due to how similar they are. However, for the sake of basic understanding, the film’s logline states, “When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.” Much like Immaculate, The First Omen takes place in an Italian nun convent, and the film explores the themes of oppression within the church and the bodily autonomy of women. Aesthetically, there seem to be similar influences on both films as well, with some obvious ones being Possession (1981) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968). Being attached to a franchise, The First Omen does a good job of making sure there are clear connections to the original film instead of being a pointless cash-grab of a movie, while also being able to stand as its own film and make its own statements.

Like Immaculate, The First Omen aesthetically cultivates a dark and unnerving atmosphere and doesn’t rely too much on cheap jumpscares. Of course, there are a couple moments here and there, but a big part of the film’s success is from the tone that it sets from the very beginning. That being said, The First Omen is much more graphic and visually disturbing, with certain sequences being seared into the viewer’s brain long after seeing them. While it’s not the goriest film by any means, there’s still enough to make viewers uneasy, which is something that every horror fan can appreciate.

There’s not a single weak performance in The First Omen, but Nell Tiger Free and Ralph Ineson really are the stars of the show — without giving too much away, the film takes a few different twists and turns in the second act, and it’s really interesting to see how their characters react and adjust to the circumstances around them. It’s easy to feel invested in the characters and events of the film, which makes the eventual twists more effective.

Additionally, this is an absolutely stellar feature film directorial debut for Arkasha Stevenson — having directed episodes of TV shows like Brand New Cherry Flavor and Legion, along with her work on the short film Pineapple (2017), tackling the Omen franchise was no easy task, especially for someone’s debut, but Stevenson knocked it out of the park. With her ability to wear multiple hats while working on short films, it’s not surprising to learn that she also assisted with the script, and I’d be interested to know what the communication and workflow was like between her and the cinematography/camera department, given her background in photojournalism.

All in all, when it comes to horror prequels, there really aren’t too many that one could confidently say are necessary or even worth watching, but The First Omen is one that came out of left field and proved why it was the contribution that the franchise needed. Fans of the original will love how this connects to the events of the original film, and people who have never watched the other films may feel the need to after watching this prequel. While the first act may feel a bit slow at first, the second half of the film takes off and doesn’t look back, with each scene offering something else to keep the audience on their toes.

For more information on The First Omen, click here.

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