Unassuming Prequel The First Omen (2024) Stuns with Diabolical Religious Fury
Title: The First Omen
First Non-Festival Release: April 3, 2024 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Arkasha Stevenson
Writer: Tim Smith, Arkasha Stevenson, Keith Thomas
Runtime: 119 Minutes
Starring: Nell Tiger Free, Ralph Ineson, Sonia Braga
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
It’s inevitable in a Post Roe v. Wade America that art will not let the decision to overturn the rights of millions of women come without any kind of pushback. Since the Supreme Court decision, horror has already done an impressive job evoking the painful realities of such action. Other recent major films have already wrestled with similar themes like last year’s Deliver Us and the recently released Immaculate.
Cue: The First Omen. On the precipice of fulfilling her life’s ambition to serve the church, Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) finds herself square in the middle of Rome. The chaos uprooting her life amidst the background of the student protests only intensifies when she realizes something is amiss at her new Abbey. Armed only with her faith and the support from a mysterious Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson), Margaret must face the ultimate evil and confront those who recklessly enable it.
Bold, hypnotic, and breathtaking, The First Omen is a rare prequel that adds more depth to its overarching story.
Set during the student protests of Rome in 1971, The First Omen conjures up the perfect metaphor to tell its tale of forced pregnancy and religious subjugation. Throughout history, religion has often served as a convenient scapegoat to strictly rule over people. These protestors are revolting due to the strict hand of the Catholic Church, something that Margaret, and the Church officials who groomed her, hope to combat. The sad part is, Margaret doesn’t fully understand how deep the brainwashing has gone.
The cracks start showing when Margaret sees much of herself in Carlita (Nicole Sorace), a seemingly shy girl who is sectioned away from the rest of the Abbey. There’s already a compelling enough narrative in The First Omen without the supernatural component. A devout woman grappling with her own dark past, the unfair sounding rules of her religious elders, and her desire to protect the vulnerable child in front of her makes for a captivating story. Caught between doing what is expected of her and what she believes is right, Margaret goes on her own quest for justice for Carlita, and the others treated just like her.
The horror seeps into the story in cruel and unexpected ways as people begin dying around Carlita and Margaret. The First Omen knows how to scare its audience as it finds new ways to shock and subvert. The First Omen reimagines but never forgets its source material, by walking the delicate line of paying homage while breaking new ground. The haunting specter of the Devil’s influence in Margaret’s life comes through in terrifying visions, bizarre accidents, and religious conspiracy. Director Arkasha Stevenson employs a variety of techniques to juice up the tension. Never knowing if they’ll get traditional jump scares, drawn-out suspense sequences, or something out of left-field, the audience is left in the dark, much like Margaret. Stevenson knows how to toy with the material to leave a mark, especially with the deliciously dark imagery she employs.
Thanks to Stevenson’s confident direction, The First Omen dazzles with striking visuals, bold cinematography, and delicious callbacks. A beautifully tragic stained glass window accident sets the scene for an imaginative and shocking horror film. Stevenson refuses to let up from there. From creeping tension of underground rituals to the pulsating anxiety of a nightclub, The First Omen is awash in provocative images that make the horror prequel memorable and haunting. Even when Stevenson directly calls back to the source material, she manages to put a twist on it to make it even more diabolical. “It’s all for you,” is a refrain horror enthusiasts know all too well and will now cut twice as deep after this iteration. Perhaps its most striking moment comes from a harrowing reference to Andrzej Zulawski’s Possession, featuring a seemingly possessed Margaret convulsing in an empty Roman street.
Its important story would mean little without leveraging Nell Tiger Free’s impeccable talent. Free embodies the devotion and naivety of Margaret while showing how both fuel her desire to do good, even when she disagrees with those she respects so much. Showcasing this balance between personal morality and duty, Free commands the screen with ferocity, even when confronted with the unholy.
No one expected The First Omen to strike gold given the current reputation IP retreads have in Hollywood right now. Much of this is thanks to Stevenson’s excellent direction, its strong cast, and its A-grade script. Aside from its story not quite fitting perfectly with the original, The First Omen is a great addition to the series that is otherwise marred from the typical trappings of supernatural horror franchises. Take this as your first, but not your last, omen to check out this glorious slice of religious horror.
Overall Score? 8/10
