The First Omen

Absolutely, utterly, exquisitely revolting and tactfully interwoven with repugnance, mystery and suspense, this highly anticipated Holy horror is a worthy precursor to the original, The Omen (1976). 

Probing sexual assault in the Catholic Church, it is eerie and unnerving. Extremely solicitous and shattering, it echoes the suspense found in the original film.

Directed by Arkasha Stevenson, the story follows Margaret (Nell Tiger Free), a twentysomething novice who travels from the United States to Italy to begin a new life of monastic servitude. Once she arrives, she quickly develops a connection with Carlita, a little girl who attends the school where she has been assigned to teach. Carlita appears to be subjected to excessive punishment and is unfairly isolated by her supervisors. It is impossible to resist Nell Tiger Free in her performance as the young nun.

Fusing elements of Rosemary’s Baby and The Handmaid’s Tale, tinged with gloom and ambiguity, it has a European flavour.

The First Omen is a direct predecessor to The Omen(1976) as it is set during the same period as the original, and it exists within that world in a very purposeful manner. Not only is the film visual tailored to the first picture, directed by Richard Donner in 1976, but there are also introductions to characters who are examined in greater detail than are in the original film.

The First Omen holds its own and is purposefully aimed at women, accentuated by graphic violence. 

It’s easily the best addition to the franchise since the original, and 2024’s first great horror film.

The First Omen releases in cinemas on Friday, 5 April 2024.

-Dirk Lombard Fourie