The First Omen Review: Seldom Has Horror Looked So Good
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
When Margaret, a young American travels to Rome to take her vows as a nun, she discovers a disturbingly dark conspiracy afoot to revive an evil to help spread the fear of God among an increasingly faithless populace.
Director Arkasha Stevenson has co-written “The First Omen” with Tim Smith and Kieth Thomas (he directed “Pickman’s Model” in “Cabinet of Curiosities”), which immediately establishes itself as a atmospheric, visually arresting horror offering. Nell Tiger Free plays protagonist Margaret, who arrives at Vizzardeli Orphanage and almost immediately becomes aware of sinister activities within its walls. Margaret’s faith is severely tested when Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson) seeks her help to prove that ‘bad things’ happen around a young girl named Carlita Scianna (Nicole Sorace) and that a misguided faction of the Church is up to monstrous deeds.
“The First Omen” takes place in 1971 and serves as a prequel to Richard Donner and Gregory Peck’s 1976 classic horror movie “The Omen.” The cinematography is immaculate, filled with impressive compositions of Rome, its streets, and historical churches with gorgeous stained-glass windows. Even simple scenes of Margaret chatting with her flatmate Luz (Maria Caballero) are shot in a way that makes the viewer appreciate their picturesque representation. The stylistic, cinematic shots reminded me of “A Haunting in Venice”, a Hercule Poirot mystery, whose strongest suit was its cinematography. For instance, look at the still below from “The First Omen”: it’s a stunning gothic-toned scene of Margaret praying to Mother Mary, surrounded by a row of candles that appear to float mid-air.
Almost two hours long, “The First Omen” takes its time to set up the primary conflict of the tale, generously spending time delving into Margaret’s character and her journey in the new city. She is taken under Luz’s wing, who convinces Margaret to let her hair down and enjoy life before she officially becomes a nun. Their friendship is cleverly juxtaposed against Margaret’s efforts to befriend the asocial Carlita Scianna, who is often kept in isolation by the nuns for being a “problem child.” Nell Tiger Free and Nicole Sorace as Margaret-Carlita feel like long-lost sisters, both orphans raised by nuns, and their onscreen friendship is tenderly poignant.
For a horror film, the movie has very few scary moments in the first half, even though there’s significant dread pervading the story. Arkasha Stevenson and team keep you anxious for most of the runtime without delivering too many chills, but when the rare gory or scary moments do transpire, they will leave the viewer disturbed. The filmmakers astutely avoid garish, over-the-top supernatural scenes, omitting the need for too many special effects, instead leaning in on the horrors plaguing the human heart. The “Nun II” creators should be taking notes from this.
The climactic twist is excellently foreshadowed. It might seem a bit predictable to some, but the climax is accompanied by a few smaller surprises that will thrill viewers. An excellent background score, consisting mostly of ominous choral music that befittingly complements the eerie events involving the church, combined with an earnest cast, makes “The First Omen” an engaging experience. The ending will also make viewers who haven’t seen the original Omen movie, go look for the horror classic.
Rating: 7 on 10. Watch “The First Omen” on Disney Hotstar or rent it on Prime Video.
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