Why The First Omen’s Reviews Are So Positive

Despite a rocky franchise track record, The First Omen is reeling in universally positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Not only are the rave ratings a huge shift for The Omen movie series, but they mark an exciting turn for horror fans. For example, the most recent Exorcist film garnered abysmal reviews from critics when it hit theaters in 2023. Filmmakers clearly squandered the goodwill fans have for the original Exorcist movie. Thankfully, The First Omen takes a different approach: instead of trading in nostalgia, the film recalls the best elements of the 1976 Omen film without feeling completely derivative.

The First Omen marks director Arkasha Stevenson’s feature film debut, though the filmmaker has previously directed episodes of the supernatural TV series Legion and Netflix’s weird horror drama Brand New Cherry Flavor. Unlike the 2006 Omen remake, The First Omen serves as a prequel, chronicling events that unfold before the 1976 film. The First Omen follows a recent horror film trend with its nun protagonist: American novitiate Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) is sent to work at an orphanage in Rome before taking her vows. Soon enough, Margaret uncovers a sinister conspiracy regarding the planned birth of the Antichrist.

The First Omen’s Reviews Praise Its Scares & Creepy Horror

The Omen Franchise Revives Its Atmospheric Thrills

Holding steady at a solid 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, The First Omen has impressed critics, which likely comes as a surprise given the 2006 remake’s flop status. Directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer, the original Omen film is one of cinema’s most iconic horror classics. After their child dies shortly after his birth, a man replaces his and his wife’s biological child with Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens), a boy who’s the prophesied Antichrist. Despite mixed reviews upon its release, The Omen garnered an impressive $60.9 million at the box office against a $2.8 million budget.

While it was once seen as a sillier Exorcist derivative, The Omen has cemented its place in the horror movie canon. Part of its enduring appeal lies in The Omen‘s truly dread-inducing atmosphere of suspense. Instead of focusing on body horror or blood-soaked gore, The Omen makes the lead-up — and what isn’t seen — even scarier. Needless to say, recapturing The Omen‘s particular magic seems like a fool’s errand. In less capable hands, it wouldn’t work, but The First Omen team wisely implements the original movie’s lessons, creating scares with its pacing and atmosphere.

The First Omen’s Cast & Director Elevate The Movie

The Servant’s Nell Tiger Free Leads The First Omen To Success

With credits spanning Legion and Brand New Cherry Flavor, first-time feature film director and The First Omen co-writer Arkasha Stevenson breathes new life into a series with entries that have continually paled in comparison to the original film. The First Omen might have a sequel problem, but as a standalone entry in the franchise, it works wonders and expands upon the beloved horror series’ lore. In addition to Stevenson and her co-writers’ unique vision for the prequel, the cast of The First Omen is responsible for much of the movie’s success.

Nell Tiger Free, who had a breakout role in M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological horror series Servant (2019–2023), brings her impressive TV chops to the big screen as Margaret. Ralph Ineson (The Witch) co-stars as Father Brennan, a priest who warns Margaret about the conspiracy at the heart of the film. The First Omen‘s cast of characters is rounded out by Tawfeek Barhom (The Looming Tower), Sônia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), and Bill Nighy, whose more notable horror projects, including Underworld and Shaun of the Dead, are more action- and comedy-forward than The Omen prequel.

The First Omen Is A Big Step Up From Recent Omen Movies

The Iconic Horror Franchise Remembers What Made The Original Film So Successful

For horror film viewers who have watched all five Omen movies, there’s no denying that the prequel is a huge step-up for the franchise. Instead of getting lost in the series’ confusing and tedious lore, The First Omen teases its connections to the franchise while feeling like a completely standalone entry. Part of that success stems from the movie’s prequel nature, though the filmmakers’ priorities also feel more in line with the original film’s intent. Instead of shock-value gore or jump-scares, The First Omen builds a remarkably unsettling atmosphere, which allows its scares to become truly haunting.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes