I recently watched “The First Omen” on Netflix. I enjoyed it so much that I watched it again the following day.
“The First Omen” is a 2024 American supernatural horror film directed by Arkasha Stevenson. She co-wrote the screenplay with Tim Smith and Keith Thomas. The movie is based on a story by Ben Jacoby. It is a prequel to “The Omen” (1976). This film is the sixth in The Omen franchise.
I score the film a 5 out of 5 coffee mugs!
A Modern Gothic Horror Masterpiece
I love the music score, the cinematography, and the shaky camera movement when they need to create distress. The transitions in imagery are masterful. Honestly, I could go on about the cinematography!
The acting at the end is Academy award-winning worthy and sickening. The end scene is just as disturbing as the classic possession scene in “The Exorcist.”
I didn’t think the original Omen, or the 2006 remake, could be matched. However, this film does match them!
I really have to give props to the main actress and how she portrays the girl in different stages. She transforms from a young nun shipped from America to the nasty demon birth-giver at the end. She goes from innocent to completely vile, and it is done masterfully.
The filmmakers also did a great job with placing the story back in the 70s or 80s in old Rome. It was interesting and jarring to see nuns smoking cigarettes in a boarding classroom near kids.
The plot twist at the end is killer. I love when the bad guy wins. This ties in perfectly with leading into the classic “The Omen“
And talk about the fatalities! This film opens with the absurd freak death of a Father, sharing secrets. This sets the tone for the rest of the film. This scene leaves the viewer on edge, wondering when the next freak-death will happen. Nobody is safe, not even the clergy.
If you don’t believe me, watch the trailer to find out for yourself.
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About “The First Omen“
The film stars Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy. The plot follows an American novitiate, Margaret, played by Nell Tiger Free. She is sent to work at a Catholic orphanage in Rome where she uncovers a sinister conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist.
20th Century Studios released the movie theatrically in the United States on April 5, 2024. Critics praised it, and it grossed $53.7 million worldwide. The film runs for 119 minutes and holds an R rating for violent content, grisly/disturbing images, and brief graphic nudity.
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Dark fiction author Willy Martinez will release his article on the Ritual Blog for Mind on Fire Books.
Willy Martinez, who authored the dark fiction mythology “The Siguanaba” (The Siguanaba), also appears in our anthology Mad Men.
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