The Omen franchise has been dormant for nearly twenty years but tomorrow, much like a certain figure prophesied in this film, it will rise again. The First Omen is very much like the Rogue One of this franchise, telling a story to the first installment and ending right where Richard Donner’s The Omen begins. Thanks to a ferocious leading performance by Nell Tiger Free and some wonderful direction, The First Omen is the best film in the series since the 1976 original.

Nell Tiger Free is the standout of the film and the reason my eyes were glued to the screen from start to finish. Her leading turn as Margaret is extremely compelling, layered and horrifying in the best way possible. The supporting cast is excellent with Ralph Ineson, Sônia Braga, Nicole Sorace, and recent Academy Award nominee Bill Nighy giving impressive performances. I only wish Braga and Nighy got more screen time, as they essentially disappeared during the middle of the movie, and I almost forgot about them.

(L-R): Nell Tiger Free as Margaret and Nicole Sorace as Carlita in 20th Century Studios’ THE FIRST OMEN. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The direction from newcomer Arkasha Stevenson is sublime. Every scene is imbued with undertones of eeriness that keep you on the edge of your seat and she masterfully draws out tension and makes very effective use of jump scares. There’s one scene in particular that had me covering my eyes and ears, something I never do having become desensitized to horror movies over the years. Another shot I loved was the cover of this review for its great symbolism of the bigger threat we do not yet see. Stevenson has proven that she has a knack for horror films, and I would love to see her work on a completely original story because I think she has the skill and talent to pull it off.

Like Immaculate, which this movie will be inevitably compared to (they’re nearly identical in plot), the theme of religion is extremely important. The notion that one can lose their faith so quickly while others retain it, albeit for the wrong reasons, is extremely interesting and could have been afforded more time and exploration. When you do a horror movie like this, the concept of religious devotion is just as important near the end of the movie as it is at the start and, in my opinion, should have been given more time and contemplation.

Tim Smith, Arkasha Stevenson and Keith Thomas craft a decent script that is far better than most of the other Omen films. It’s not hard to follow and you don’t need to see any other film in the franchise to understand it. However, there’s a lot that could’ve been cut out of the film to make it more palatable. While this is a good movie, it’s dragged down a bit by its script and in turn, 2-hour runtime, which you really start to feel towards the middle of the film.

The First Omen is a worthy prequel to Richard Donner’s 1976 classic and while it is a bit long at 2 hours, Nell Tiger Free’s devilishly good performance and sharp direction from Arkasha Stevenson make this a must-see horror film.