Now for better or for worse, as has happened may times before and will happen I’m sure many times after, for whatever reason two films with very, very, very similar plotlines have been released almost simultaneously. This time with Immaculate and The First Omen, both of which concern an American nun moving to Italy/Rome and growing against their will embroiled in a plot to birth the spawn of some heaven or hell figure. The films share stunningly similar arcs and at some points even very similar sequences and moments, however for me personally the film-making of Arkasha Stevenson and the work of Nell Tiger Free and the other members of the films ensemble take The First Omen to a higher level for me and although both films can and should exist, if one were to choose a favourite, which is with regret the natural order of things when such an occurrence as this does indeed occur, I would undoubtedly have to go with The First Omen.
Just if nothing
else on a pure filmmaking level, The First Omen is superior than any of
the current legacy prequels we’ve received of recent and certainly earns its
place as a worthy film in the overall rather lacklustre Omen franchise. Did
we need an Omen prequel? Not exactly, but this is that very rare case
where a film that could have so easily been terrible and by all means has no
real reason to exist is in many ways the best of the franchise after the first
film. Stevenson as a director does a genuinely great job at taking us through a
series of repeatedly interesting sequences, even if some are reductive of
previous Omen entries and even at points painting blatant and I’m sure
loving homage to films such as Possession. Speaking of Possession, at
the heart of this film is a truly sensational and unflinching performance from
Nell Tiger Free, who really does elevate in so many ways the tropes and
trappings that these characters fall into so very often. No, this is certainly
not a film that could genuinely be believed to have been made in the 70’s,
however there is certainly an aesthetic to a lot of the earlier filmmaking in
the movie that offers a real tangible sense of the past. Nothing feels too out
of place and all of the performances feel of a piece with the period. Even the
prequel elements of the film, bar one copy and paste scene at the mid-point,
all is pulled off without feeling cringey in anyway, even the very end which
without spoilers takes us all the way up to the beginning of the first film and
the final line couldn’t be more on the nose, and yet the film earnt so much
credit with me throughout that I couldn’t help but smile to myself as the Jerry
Goldsmith score finally dropped. Overall Stevenson really has made a very
strong film within the boundaries of the prequel that she was signed up to
make, it’s a calling card movie and the work of a very strong director with a
clear eye for body horror and terror that I hope will be utilised in more
original fare sooner rather than later. And much the same can be said for my
hope for the career of Tiger Free, who is genuinely sensational in this film
and is by far the engine that makes this beast the success it is.
A truly shocking 7/10 that although loses some pace around its third quarter and although is riddled with cliches, does manage time and time again to elevate itself above what could have very easily been a sub-par attempt as we have seen time and time again. The film-making and performances are just much better than one could reductively say a film like this deserves. Ralph Ineson, Sonia Braga and even the terrific Bill Nighy all bring to the table a level of gravitas and quality that never once winks. This is a film with original and shocking sequences and a lot of great directorial craft, with a brilliant lead performance at the very core too. The First Omen is by far the best Omen film we’ve had since the original and at points despite its classic status, may even be stronger than the original.
P.S. Running time plagues this film however, how can a prequel made close to fifty years later playing to a younger and far less Omen loving crowd end up ten minutes longer than the original and close to two hours in length. This is a film I had a lot of fun with, but a slight tightening of the run-time would have no doubt benefited this piece a lot.
- Thomas Carruthers
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