Between all the demons, devils, and damnation, Catholicism has always been pretty scary, even without the help of the religious horror films of the 1970s or the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s.
As someone raised Catholic, the idea of spiritual torment and demonic possession is one of the few things that scares me, and I often find myself drawn to spiritual horror if I’m hoping for a good spooking. (You can’t punch away a demon.) Like last year’s The Exorcist: Believer, The First Omen attempts to revitalize an iconic 1970s horror franchise for modern audiences.
As the name suggests, The First Omen is a prequel to 1976’s The Omen and its 2006 remake, taking place before the infamous anit-Christ Damien is born. Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) is an American woman sent to Rome by the Church to work in an orphanage while she waits to complete her vows and become a nun. She is supported by Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy), who helped run the orphanage she grew up in.
However, her idyllic time in Rome soon turns sinister as Margaret forms a bond with a young orphan, Carlita (Nicole Sorace), who is mistreated by the other Sisters and labeled as a problem child due to her visions of the future. Margaret begins to suspect that might be the key to a radical religious plot to give birth to the anti-Christ to drive the secular populace back into the arms of the Church.
Though it is to be expected that The First Omen would contain references and Easter eggs for fans of the original series, the film goes far beyond simple homage. It seems utterly reliant upon rehashing the first film. So many plot points and character deaths are taken directly from the source material, with very little done to differentiate or update the moments. An adult who cares for the demonic child? Check. Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson) aggressively accosts people with his theories about demon children. Naturally. An “It’s all for you!” moment? Of course.
It’s important to recognize the legacy of the original film when making a reboot of an iconic series like The Omen, and some nods to famous scenes would be welcome. However, The First Omen doesn’t seem interested in supporting fan expectations with the merit of its own story. Instead of using these moments of homage as a quick nod to fans in the know, it uses them as a crutch to do all the heavy lifting of the story’s most impactful moments.
This gets even worse when you realize that such reliance on rehashing the original film means that the outcome and overall shape of the story are telegraphed from a mile away. Having any vague familiarity with either the original or the remake takes any surprise or scare factor out of The First Omen.
And that’s the film’s biggest sin. The First Omen fails to ever truly be horrifying or scary. Perhaps it’s because the heavy-handed spiritual horror of the 70s and 80s isn’t as effective today, or perhaps it’s because every kill is a feel too familiar, but the terror attempts are feeble at best and unintentionally comical at worst. The only effective scares are jump scares, which feel like low-hanging fruit.
A sense of light unease and dread does settle in at certain points; however, that mostly comes from the score featuring eerie chanting, and backing soundtrack or the close-ups of ghastly relics and frescoes. Evidence of artfulness is present in the set design, cinematography, and music. However, it’s hamstrung by poor writing.
There is one moment that I felt was effectively horrifying. In the final act of the film, Margaret is off-screen, moaning that she is in pain and asking for help as we hear the wet, squelching sound effects that imply the violence being done to her. On-screen, we see a crowd of priests and nuns observing her with a mix of mundanity or rapt attention, relishing in her suffering. All is according to plan. Had the film leaned into more moments like this, showcasing the insidious roots of the anti-Christ conspiracy and the corruption of the institution rather than hedging its bets on nostalgia, we could have had a much scarier and poignant film.
Unfortunately, rather than ending on this high note, the film continues for several more scenes, directly linking to the beginning of Damien’s story and heavy-handedly setting up another film. It is interesting to note that this set-up and the movie do appear to retcon Damien’s previous origin story.
As the lead, Nell Tiger Free does her damndest to drive the story along, and in the face of The First Omen’s many flaws, she is not one of them. Margaret’s pain, fear, and anguish are palpable and convincing. Even in the most awkward scenes of animalistic writhing and grunting, Free fully commits, which helps keep the audience at least somewhat engaged. Nicole Sorace also performs commendably as the troubled orphan Carlita, her body language and dead-eyed expression conveying an unhinged and volatile nature to the child. Their relationship and chemistry are touching at times, and Free conveys that Margaret has genuine care and a sense of kinship for Carlita.
Of the side characters, Maria Caballero performs best as fellow initiate nun Luz. Without giving too much away, her shift from sweet roommate and fun party girl to stoic religious figure elevates certain aspects of the plot and makes the grand conspiracy seem even wilder. The rest of the cast consists of well-known actors both in and out of the horror genre, like Charles Dance, Bill Nighy, and Ralph Ineson; none are utilized to their full potential and just sort of show up when the story needs them.
As a lapsed Catholic, watching Catholic horror films can often serve as a cathartic experience, giving some sort of validation to the unease that comes from hearing sermons about hellfire and sin. The First Omen does not provide any such sense of satisfaction; instead, it feels like it has “been there, done that” due to how closely it clings to its franchise’s roots and leaves no room to try anything new. While strong performances from the cast provide some saving grace, the writing, and overall storytelling are too lazy and ineffective for that to be any real salvation.
If this indicates the quality of the sequels the studio might be praying for, The First Omen is a bad omen indeed.
Rating: 3/10