The First Omen Review

The Omen series has been given the prequel treatment with The First Omen. This prequel takes the series in a new direction by being a Nunsploitation film.

Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) is a young American woman who arrives in Rome in 1971. Margaret plans to take the vows to become a nun and works in an orphanage. The young woman takes an interest in a troubled teen, Carlita (Nicole Sorace), and tries to help her. However, Margaret gets approached by Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson) who warns her about a secret sect operating within the Catholic Church and Carlita is a part of their scheme.

The Omen is considered in the same breath as films like The Exorcist, The Wicker Man, and Halloween, a classic horror film from the 1970s. It was a strong horror film that was built on dread and atmosphere as the spectre of death and disaster lingered. But the other films in the series never matched the quality of the original. They range from unintentional comedy, like Damien: Omen II, to the unnecessary remake. The First Omen was able to stand out since it told a different story and managed to have an atmosphere.

Whilst The First Omen did offer something new for The Omen franchise, it had the misfortune to come out too soon after Immaculate. There were a lot of similarities between the two films. The most obvious was the story since both films focused on young American women going to Italy to become nuns but ending up in a convent that had a sinister sect conducting a breeding program. The First Omen even shared scenes and ideas with Immaculate like the leads getting recruited by a member of the clergy, having a rebellious roommate, and having Rosemary’s Baby-style scenes. The First Omen even shares themes with Immaculate since they were both post-Roe vs. Wade horror films about women fighting for their bodily autonomy.

Some of the sexually charged scenes were menacing and creepy. They were a mix of Rosemary’s Baby, Eyes Wide Shut, and Fifty Shades of Gray that were baked into a horrific pie. The scenes involving childbirth and C-Sections will haunt and disgust many. The First Omen did suffer from an issue that many horror sequels and prequels because it referenced some of the most memorable scenes from the original. The trailer revealed The First Omen did its own spin on the suicide scene and other kills were close ones to the original film. At least The First Omen avoided the mistake of the 2006 remake which was just copying the kills of the original film and making them worse.

The First Omen gave itself the tough task of trying to tie itself with the original film. To do this The First Omen had to retcon some details to make it work. The First Omen was just about able to walk this tightrope with some of its reveals. The filmmakers had an eye on sequel potential.

Free made for a fine lead. She came across as a wide-eyed innocent who was kind and naïve. Free’s character was awkward when she dressed up for a night out. This awkwardness was enhanced by Free’s youthful appearance. Yet there was a darkness to Margaret since she stated she was a wild child and suffered from visions throughout the film. Free was able to give an intense performance during Maragret’s more stressful moments. Sorace was a promising performer in only her second credited performance on IMDB. Sorace had a Dafne Keen quality due to her young age, and her near-feral nature at the beginning before Margaret was able to befriend the teen. Actors like Bill Nighy and Ralph Ineson gave the film a bit of gravitas and Nighy is always a welcome presence.

The First Omen was the best Omen since the original and it does bring some new life to the series. It was able to expand the world and had plenty of atmosphere. However, through no fault of its own, it does live in the shadow of Immaculate.