The First Omen releases in theaters on April 5th, 2024.

I don’t know to what extent The Omen (1976) is considered a classic, but the truth is that it was one of the most profitable films of its respective year, it has one of the most memorable scores of that decade – so much so that it even won an Oscar, something extremely rare considering the genre – and, of course, it spawned several sequels and even a remake over all these years. The First Omen is the sixth installment of the franchise and, as the title indicates, it’s a prequel to the original movie. It’s also the directorial debut of Arkasha Stevenson who also co-writes the screenplay along with Tim Smith and Keith Tomas (Firestarter).

Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) is a young American woman sent to Rome to start a devout life for the church, but she encounters strange nuns with even stranger behaviors that lead her to discover a terrifying conspiracy whose goal is to breed the personification of evil. As a tremendous fan of the actress’ work in Servant, her presence was the biggest draw of The First Omen for me, also due to the general disappointment of the other films in the saga.

The First Omen Critique

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Therefore, I couldn’t be more pleased to recommend The First Omen to all fans of the genre. It’s far from perfect due to many narrative issues, but it’s technically superb, and, performances-wise, one cannot ask for more from Tiger Free – what a fantastic name, by the way. The cast greatly contributes to the atmosphere of suspense and mystery that envelops the film, with Bill Nighy (Living), Sônia Braga (Bacurau), and even a short yet extremely efficient opening scene starring Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) elevating an admittedly simple script.

However, Tiger Free delivers one of the most transformative, mesmerizing performances of the year. Just as Toni Colette (Hereditary), Lupita Nyong’o (Us), and Florence Pugh (Midsommar) were overlooked during their respective award seasons due to the known bias against the horror genre, Tiger Free will likely be neglected and even forgotten by the end of this year. But make no mistake: whatever is said and written about The First Omen, the film contains an absolutely unforgettable lead performance.

The British actress had already demonstrated in Servant her impressive ability to capture fear and dread like no other, creating a genuinely haunting, even mysterious aura around her, as if there was something more to her character. In The First Omen, she starts off as a mere innocent girl devoted to the church, but as the movie progresses, Tiger Free is forced to draw upon so many complex elements that make up a performance, culminating in an uninterrupted long take in the third act where the actress fully commits to her role through insane body movements, creepy sounds with alternating voice tones, and a brilliant interpretation of… well, you’ll have to see to understand.

Technically, the sound design stands out with its immersive elements. Whispers coming from off the screen, characters appearing out of nowhere… The First Omen includes the typical jump scares, but instead of being a boring jumpfest, these particular sequences are surprisingly effective due to excellent editing (Bob Murawski, Amy E. Duddleston) and camera work (Aaron Morton). Mark Korven’s score (The Lighthouse) draws bits from the original work’s main theme, but it’s equally capable of standing out and being its own thing.

That said, the technical spotlight shines brighter in the practical effects and makeup department. The First Omen features some of the most grotesque, disgusting scenes of the year, to the point that a couple behind me in the theater left the room near the end. Whether it’s horrifying perspectives of childbirth – pregnancy anxiety is undoubtedly a predominant theme in a film that addresses several feminine topics – or sequences involving newborns, Stevenson didn’t want to miss the opportunity to write her name in the history of cinema of 2024… and she succeeded.

Unfortunately, although The First Omen is one of those films that gets better and better as the runtime flows by, it can’t run away from some narrative problems. One of my biggest personal pet peeves in cinema can be found at the beginning of the film. I don’t understand the utility or necessity of a movie starting its story by showing a scene that’s supposed to happen later on. Unless the goal is to deliberately deceive or confuse viewers so that an eventual twist has more impact, 99% of the time this creative decision ruins all elements of surprise, adds frustrating predictability, and even raises pacing issues since the film takes a while to reach that point of connection with the specific scene.

In the case of The First Omen, chronologically speaking, the scene should indeed happen at the beginning. But the way it’s shot immediately allows the viewers to understand what’s happening and to whom it’s happening, making a certain revelation in the third act quite underwhelming. Additionally, as the plot unfolds, certain narrative decisions diminish the importance of a secondary character, especially considering the screen time allocated to them. The movie ends up getting tangled in the webs of conspiracy it tries to build and chooses a safe conclusion – clearly aiming for more franchise installments – instead of a bolder, more narratively coherent, and consequently, more impactful finale.

In Conclusion

The First Omen holds many narrative issues and a too-safe ending, but it deserves to be seen on the big screen due to its grotesque practical effects, hauntingly well-built atmosphere, and one of the most impressive, transformative performances of the year by Nell Tiger Free. Debutant filmmaker Arkasha Stevenson clearly leaves her mark on a technically sublime film that easily becomes the best installment of the franchise after the original movie. Lead yourself into temptation and embrace the incarnated evil. You won’t regret it.

6/10

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