The First Omen — Review

One would be forgiven for approaching THE FIRST OMEN with negative thoughts, based purely on the sheer amount of prequels, sequels, reboots and remakes that have been cooked up based on classic horror IP over the past decade. Arkasha Stevenson doesn’t merely make up the numbers with her feature debut though; an ode to Richard Donner’s THE OMEN that not only breathes new life into the franchise but also indicates that religious horror isn’t as played out as some might think. Stevenson understands the mechanics of horror; she knows how to move the camera and pick her shots to accentuate suspense. THE FIRST OMEN builds momentum and escalates tension slowly and effectively, with Stevenson soaking the entire piece in a pervasive feeling of pure terror and dread.

Nell Tiger Free commands the screen as our pained protagonist—a devote nun who begins to suspect that something at her orphanage is awry. Free stuns with a performance that required her to give herself over completely to the role—her character changes dramatically as the movie progresses, going from diminutive beginnings and reaching a place much more emotionally and physically demanding. THE FIRST OMEN is further bolstered by exceptional production design and stunning muted visuals, with cinematographer Aaron Morton transforming a modest budget into an image that appears far more expensive than it was. Whether THE OMEN retains life beyond this movie is yet to be determined, but there’s no doubt that Stevenson and Free resurrected this expired franchise and gave it a new heartbeat.