Finally, a competent addition to an established horror franchise that both pays homage to the original and offers something new. Okay, okay, I guess you can say the same thing about the latest Evil Dead installment. However, I have a special relationship with the seventies horror classic that is The Omen. It’s one of the first occult horror movies I have ever seen along with Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist. The ominous atmosphere, flawless direction, and committed performances made that movie an instant hit. And it’s still worth watching, after all those years.
Considering just how disappointing was The Exorcist: Believer, I didn’t expect much from this one. Especially when I saw that this is the director’s Arkasha Stevenson debut. Perhaps this is why after the first five minutes I was completely blown away. The First Omen is a sturdy, foreboding, and atmospheric occult horror movie definitely worth watching. It’s about Margaret, a young American girl who travels to a Catholic orphanage just outside Rome, Italy. She plans to take her vows there and become a teacher. However, she’ll soon learn that there are dark things happening at this orphanage. Dark and unholy things.
There are no jump-scares, cheap tricks, or any of that commercial shit here. The First Omen relies on the ominous atmosphere, devilishly grand plot, and well-developed characters. Just like the original. The story takes place in the early seventies, 1971 to be more precise. The cinematography is juicy and the practical effects believable. When it comes to the gore, there will be just a couple of nasty scenes. We never see things in their entirety. Obscured by darkness they leave us no choice but to feel our way through this experience. I guess this relegates the movie to the mainstream horror genre as it’s not too keen to shock us with visuals.
I think this is a good thing as we need movies like this. Not every horror has to have decapitations, blood fountains, and nasty creatures eating humans. However, there was one quite gruesome and graphic scene that almost got the movie rated NC-17. I don’t want to tell you which one it is but you’ll easily notice it once it starts. The First Omen ties in nicely with the original prompting you to watch it immediately after. Nell Tiger Free was the perfect choice for the lead role and she gave an honest and pitch-perfect performance here. I remember watching her in the television show The Servant and thinking how she’s going to go places.
Bill Nighy and especially Ralph Ineson with his gravelly voice were just as good. I would also like to single out Maria Caballero who plays Sister Luz. This brings me to a rather peculiar topic of religion and nuns in particular. I just loved the scene where Luz is taking her vows and how the other, older nuns are dressing her in the familiar attire. They’re doing this with force and conviction binding and constricting her not just with her clothes but also her worldview and morals. I thought this was a nice touch. And I can say the same thing about Margaret’s introduction to this seemingly ordinary Catholic orphanage.
And don’t get me started on that perfection of an opening scene. What a way to start an occult horror movie and immerse the viewer in this bizarre world! Just compare this scene to the one we got in an eeirily similar movie Immaculate starring Sydney Sweeny. Yes, that’s another horror movie featuring almost exactly the same story. I guess nunsploitation is finally back with such movies as The Nun I & II, Hermana Muerte, and Prey for the Devil. If you’re looking for more movies like The First Omen do check out Hellhole and Venus. I guess that the 2006 remake is also worth checking out although you should know it almost didn’t cross the line.
Director: Arkasha Stevenson
Writers: Tim Smith, Arkasha Stevenson, Keith Thomas
Cast: Nell Tiger Free, Ralph Ineson, Sonia Braga, Tawfeek Barhom, Maria Caballero, Bill Nighy
Fun Facts: The First Omen was filmed almost entirely on location in Italy. While you can easily recognize Rome, the scenes in the orphanage were actually shot in Villa Parisi. If you happen to be in the Italy you can actually book a tour of the entire place here.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5672290/
