When I went to the theater to watch The First Omen, I was not expecting the film to be as great as it was. If you are a fan of the original 1976 horror classic, you’re going to like this prequel film!
The First Omen perfectly captures the tone, style, and dark energy of the original film, both in its style and story. It was a wonderfully made and terrifying film!
If you don’t believe me, horror director Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, Midnight Mass, A Haunting at Hill House) shared his thoughts on the movie and he also had incredibly high praise.
He shared on X: “I absolutely loved THE FIRST OMEN. Gripping, vicious, and downright scary. Nell Tiger Free is exceptional, but Arkasha Stevenson’s direction knocked me out cold. Expect great, great things from her.”
The filmmaker linked his Letterboxd review, which also reads: “Arkasha Stevenson roars onto the scene with this absolute knockout debut feature that is wicked, vicious, elegant, beautifully directed, and downright SCARY […] As the credits began to roll, I found myself actively hoping for another installment.”
I 100% agree with Flanagan on all accounts. One of the more insane scenes involved Nell Tiger Free acting her ass off, and her performance was so uncomfortably horrific that it even had members of the crew walking off of the set because of how uncomfortable it was.
If you haven’t seen The First Omen yet, you should watch it because it’s one of those horror movies you’ve got to experience on the big screen! I’m telling you… it’s worth it!
In the film, “When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.”
The First Omen stars Nell Tiger Free (Servant), Tawfeek Barhom (Mary Magdalene), Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ralph Ineson (The Witch, Onyx the Fortuitous), and Bill Nighy (Living).
