1976’s The Omen is nearing 50 years old now. It remains an underrated horror classic that hasn’t been as popular in pop culture as other horror franchises, but it was probably responsible for kickstarting the ‘evil child’ trope in the horror genre. The First Omen is a prequel to that original movie (not the 2006 remake, thank God). Most prequels tend to be forgettable cash-ins that don’t justify their existence but what about The First Omen?

Read on to find out.

The Number Of The Beast

The original The Omen left a few unanswered questions and one of the biggest ones was the identity of the Antichrist’s true mother. The First Omen seeks to answer that question, and it serves as the basis of the entire movie’s core mystery. Yes, The First Omen is a horror movie, but just like 1976’s The Omen, there’s a mystery and conspiracy at the heart of it. While some might see the twists coming a mile away, it’s a good way to elevate the movie beyond simply being a straightforward horror movie. For instance, when speaking of nun-related movies, The First Omen is certainly a better and more rewarding movie to watch and experience than The Conjuring’s The Nun spinoffs.

Besides the mystery aspect, The First Omen distinguishes itself by taking place in 1970s Italy. Director Arkasha Stevenson did an admirable job of making the movie’s vibe and tone feel different from other contemporary horror movies. Some shots even seem to replicate the style of Richard Donner’s, which is great in building the ominous atmosphere and tension of the movie. Sure, there are still quite a few cheap jump scares in The First Omen, but there are also genuine moments where it can get intense. That being said, The First Omen is not particularly scary, but that disturbing and ominous atmosphere will make you feel uncomfortable at times. Horror fans can also look forward to some gore and a bit of body horror in The First Omen, though the movie doesn’t really go far enough in that regard (I’ve seen more graphic ones elsewhere). There are also one or two moments that you will remember from this movie, though if you’re easily triggered by sexual assault, there’s some of that too.

The highlight of The First Omen is the strong performances, especially by lead actress Nell Tiger Free. She’s been a strong force on TV with roles in Game Of Thrones and the horror series, Servant, but this might be her breakout role in movies. There’s this one scene in particular where she acts as if she’s possessed, and her mannerisms are so creepy. You know a performance in a horror movie is good when the performance manages to make you squirm in your seat. Other great performances include Sônia Braga as Sister Silvia, the head of the orphanage that the movie mostly takes place in, and Ralph Ineson (also known as Cid in Final Fantasy 16) as Father Brennan, a character who was also (or rather, would be, since this is a prequel) in the original The Omen. Some of the promotional material for The First Omen showed off Charles Dance, but don’t expect to see much of him at all.

Overall, The First Omen isn’t an entirely forgettable by-the-mills prequel, but it still doesn’t do enough to elevate it beyond its ties to the franchise. It still relies on certain ‘callbacks’ that feel more like retreads from the original movie, which makes The First Omen less distinctive as its own movie. The First Omen would have been much improved if the director/writers had taken more risks and inserted more creative ideas into the mix. The scariest (and perhaps best thing) about The First Omen is still its soundtrack and music, though most of that can likely still be attributed to the original composer of the 1976 movie, Jerry Goldsmith. It’s no wonder The Omen’s iconic theme, Ave Satani, won an Oscar for Best Original Score all those years ago. Chills, seriously.

Ave Satani

The First Omen is an above-average movie for a horror prequel. It doesn’t suffer from the same forgettable curse that plagues other conventional cash-in horror prequels, but it’s still stuck to its franchise ties, so the original The Omen is still ultimately a better movie than the prequel. That being said, with its unique setting, ominous atmosphere, and strong performances all around, The First Omen is still a movie worth watching for those horror fans out there.

FINAL SCORE: 70/100

We attended a press screening of The First Omen courtesy of The Walt Disney Company Malaysia. The First Omen premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 4 April 2024.