Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
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 is a competently crafted prequel to the 1976 classic that leans heavily into its period setting and atmosphere. The cinematography is genuinely exceptional — dark, textured, and evoking classic 70s horror with real craft and intentionality. The acting, particularly Nell Tiger Free in the lead, is committed and elevates familiar material. The plot, however, is largely derivative, recycling Rosemary's Baby and the original Omen's conspiracy mechanics without adding meaningful new mythology. Novelty suffers because, despite solid execution, the film is fundamentally a prequel revisiting established lore with few genuinely surprising conceptual moves. The ending delivers adequate dread and connects to the original, but doesn't transcend its franchise obligations.