The First Omen
The First Omen
6.583%69%
A young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.
rg9400 reviewedNovember 1, 2024
This is the biggest surprise of 2024 for me. For an under-the-radar prequel to a large horror franchise, I was expecting a low-effort straight-to-video attempt like so many we have gotten recently, e.g. Exorcist Believer. So let me tell you that this movie is none of those things. First and foremost, the cinematography in the movie is extremely striking, with tons of excellent imagery and a confidence in the camerawork that is truly stunning. I legitimately think it is one of the best-shot horror movies I've seen recently. Multiple scenes were extremely evocative and felt straight out of the 70s and 80s with a modern twist. Nell Tiger Free is excellent as well, building off her work in The Servant and fully committing to the role, especially in the latter half of the movie. The story itself is engaging enough -- I don't particularly love this franchise and find the original story a bit bland. However, I thought this one managed to build enough suspense, even if I was able to predict the way it was going to end. I also think it managed to pull in some surface-level themes regarding religion and women's bodies, though it could have gone into more depth there. Regardless, it's a lot of fun and well worth a watch for the cinematography alone.