The First Omen Is A Suprisingly Good Prequel To The Classic Original

When it was released in 1976; “The Omen” chilled audiences and became a hit that inspired three sequels and a remake.

The dark take of the Antichrist being a reality placed in influential situations struck home with audiences and created enduring cinematic moments.

“The First Omen” fills in the backstory of the first film and expands the lore by telling the story of how the events of the first film were set into motion while updating the franchise.

Set in the early 1970s, Nell Tiger Free stars as Margaret; a young American who has journeyed to Rome to take her vows and become a servant of the church.

Assigned to an Orphanage; Margaret learns that things may not be as they seem as a troubled girl may be part of scheme to produce the Antichrist and despite her serious doubts; the dark events that unfold around her begin to give credibility to the claims posed by defrocked Priest Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson).

As the mystery unfolds, Margaret soon questions her very sanity as a threat deeper than she imagined becomes very real with the very fate of humanity in the balance.

The film visually creates the look and style of 70s cinema well while staying true to modern times with some updated visual FX to enhance the horror.

While I did predict most of the turns in the film, the story kept my attention and while there was some deviations from the original source material; they were minor enough not to detract from the original and open up avenues for future films to explore without impacting the classic original.

The movie was better than expected and a must-see for fans of the original and horror who are looking for a chilling tale.

3.5 stars out of 5