The First Omen Review: A Disturbing Origin

Yet another nun horror movie has released…is what I would say had The First Omen not impressed me. It’s funny though, after watching Immaculate, it’s clear how much this sub genre overlaps. The First Omen has many similarities with Immaculate apart from the religious themes. The First Omen succeeds in ways Immaculate doesn’t however. It’s a film that goes further and harder. This a truly disturbing film. This The First Omen review will be spoiler-free.

The First Omen is now showing in theaters.

See Also: Immaculate Review: Familiar Grounds

Story: The Antichrist

The First Omen is a prequel to The Omen, a film that was originally released back in 1973. In Rome, Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) begins her life as a nun when she realizes the church she joined might be harboring dark secrets. There are also some events happening outside the church in the background which I thought added some more context to the world. But besides that, pretty standard Nun stuff there. What I liked about this story was how dark it got. Margaret believes something might be Carlita (Nicole Sorace), a young girl who is treated poorly compared to her classmates. Margaret then begins to form a bond with her. 

I’m not sure what is going on here, but it feels weird

Meanwhile, Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson) is trying to get in contact with Margaret to warn her of Carlita and the church. The revelation of it is pretty disturbing and seeing it is even worse. Some moments of this film were a bit confusing for me. I was wondering how certain people, such as Father Brennan for example, knew that Margaret was in trouble and that she’d be in contact with Carlita. I also have some questions about Margaret and some decisions of the church. It’s hard to get into that without spoilers though.

Characters and Performances: Mysterious Few

Another thing these nun horror movies seem to have in common is how amazing the leads are. Jesus, Nell Tiger Free gives an absolutely stellar performance. She starts as this sincere woman, devout to her faith, but by the end, changes her views. She still keeps her pure self intact. We see that even at the end when things get a bit crazy. Nell Tiger Free owns this role. She has this long scene at the end where she has to give 110% to make it believable. She has two scenes like this where she seems to just lose herself in the character. She’s amazing. 

These two were great to watch

As for her character, I enjoy the journey she goes on although a bit predictable. I also enjoyed her interaction with Carlita as it shows how genuinely compassionate she is toward others. Carlita is a strange character that I also have some questions about. She is often locked up and kept away from the other children. Carlita’s mysteriousness added a lot of intrigue to her as I didn’t know which way she would end up. 

Pacing and Editing: Strong Scares

The First Omen has a runtime of 2 hours which can sometimes be on the longer end for a horror film. I never felt that time though. I’m not going to say that this movie moved at a rapid pace by any means. There is a portion in the beginning of The First Omen that doesn’t have any scares. The film takes its time setting up these characters and the overarching mystery. As a result, I can see how this film might be a slower place for some. I personally thought it moved quickly.

This film had some effective scares

As for the scares, most are quite effective due to editing. There are some you can see a mile away due to the framing of a shot, but because of the quick cuts, they got a scare out of me. The First Omen doesn’t heavily rely on these jump scares though. The film mixes it up by giving scares through longer, more steady shots. There are some scenes I had to close my eyes. I couldn’t watch it. The First Omen was close to getting an NC-17 rating due to some of these scenes.

Cinematography and Sound: Diverse 

Because of The First Omen’s diverse settings, it felt like I saw a new set in almost every scene. As a result, there are many interesting shots throughout the film. I think the Cinematography worked best when the camera was just hovering over certain locations. There is one set of scenes we see a couple of times. In this location, as the audience, we know there is something seriously wrong in the shadows. We don’t see what it is though, but the placing of the camera gives us an uneasy feeling. There are several uncomfortable moments like this throughout the film. 

Nell Tiger Free does an amazing job portraying this character

This setup wouldn’t be as effective if it wasn’t for the expert use of sound. Director Arkasha Stevenson does a fantastic job knowing in crafting each scene. Music playing during some jump scares was subtle, which allowed the audience to focus on what was about to happen. In other scenes that were often more disturbing, it would rise almost like a chant building tension and creating an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Have you seen The First Omen? What did you think? Do you agree with this review of The First Omen? Let us know!