“I don’t want to be forgiven. I just want it to be over.” [Honey, same. – eds.]

Story: In 1971, young Margaret travels from the States to Rome, Italy, in order to take her vows as a nun. But there’s something strange going on in the convent school she’s living in, including a teen girl who’s Not Like The Others™. If you’ve ever watched/listened to/read an ZOMG ANTICHRIST horror story? Yeah, you know what’s up.

Scares: A few skillfully done scares early on. Don’t get used to this.
Splat Factor: Effective gore here and there. Could be too much for some, but not enough to satiate gorehounds.

Subgenre: Overlong Prequels Trying To Be Important
Year Released: 2024
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Based on the Omen series of films. A prequel. Duh, it’s got First in the title. Which is a hint at how


Trick or Treat?: Ugh. I hate when a prequel shows promise, but then whiffs it in the second half. Omen has all the hallmarks of a good film; excellent performances, gorgeously ominous cinematography, and a story with tropes that hint at something fun. *cue sad trombone noises* Overlong and frustratingly predictable after the first forty-five minutes, this Omen hints at a breath of fresh air that quickly turns stale due to plodding story structure and a climax you’ve seen over and over again in countless other demon-subgenre films. Part nunsploitation, part antichrist prequel, if you’re looking for a new spin on this classic series, you’ll be disappointed.

I happily took notice at the start of the film, when I saw everyone’s favorite evil Lannister, Charles Dance, as a priest coming to do the requisite warning of things to come to a fellow padre. Yes, it’s very reminiscent of the OG The Omen, but I figured the film would start off with a hark-back, and then do it’s own thing. But this is just a harbinger of things to come. This film loves to “pay homage” to the original film by ripping off “interpreting” popular moments from the first film. We’ve even got the “It’s all for YOUUUUU” bit, which feels like it was shoehorned into the story just so we can see a burnt ghost haunting characters. Yawn.

Funny though with all the echoes of the first film, this Omen doesn’t remember the important piece of the original film’s lore; that wee Damien was born of a jackal. Like from a female jackal. Let’s welcome his fully (well, kinda…) human mom to the stage! But first, there’ll be a subplot of how Margaret needs to figure out what this Order is doing, and to whom. Which, as things play out, ends up exactly where you think it will. Oh, and there’s the sexually open motivate Margaret is rooming with, who wants to open Margaret’s eyes to the world. And a priest who’s trying to figure out how to stop what’s been put in motion. These subplots should feel like they’re coalescing, but instead they feel separate from each other, as if they’re all simply happening at the same time for no reason. Maybe I’d have been more invested if I’d seen it in the theater? Maybe not.

As Carlita, the “young child” (teenager) who Margaret is intent on saving, Nicole Sorace does a great job of looking lost, innocent, and bedeviled. Sorace puts in a lot of physical work along with her emotional performance, I just wish she’d been given more scenes where she connects with the audience. I felt like I was watching the goings-on in a snow globe, seeing what’s happening inside, but not actually touched by it. Wannabe-sister Margaret, Nell Tiger Free, delivers one hell (HEH) of a performance. I’d put it up there near Jennifer Carpenter’s tour de force in The Excorcism of Emily Rose. Free puts her body and soul – okay not literal soul, y’all – into the climactic scenes, and it’s incredible to watch. Still, though she’s giving it her all, again, I felt nothing.

Why? Because writer/director Arkasha Stevenson (along with co-writers Tim Smith and Keith Thomas) have Margaret go from zero to How Did We Get Here in a heartbeat. It’s disappointing. I wanted to be all in, wanted to feel what Margaret is going through now that she’s put all the pieces together. But she went from asking for help to moaning mess without a single bit of transformation. I’m still mad about it, because this Omen had such an interesting idea. That’s wasted with a by-the-numbers climax and confusing denouement that tries to both tie-in with the original film series and forge it’s own cash grab series path. Special shout-out to Bill Nighy as Carinal Lawrence, the priest who brings Margaret to Rome now that she’s a Novitiate. My horrorhound senses were activated as soon as I saw him onscreen, figuring he was gonna be the Big Bad. I was right. But I don’t need to tell you that, you’d be able to figure that out for yourself. Seriously; this Omen has Dance and Nighy, and the director barely scratches the surface of what these talents can do.

This is a film of balance. For every good bit, there’s something that’s equally frustrating. The cinematography that’s ominously beautiful, pairs with editing that’s choppy and breaks away from intriguing parts too soon. Jump-scares are used sparingly, typically alongside creepy moments, pulling the jump and creepy together effectively. This pairs with an uneven and ill-used musical score that feels uncomfortably ill-fitted at the start, and histrionic during the end credits. American Horror Story: Delicate did it better. And I’m damming Delicate with faint praise. Watch this one only if you’re in the mood for a period piece prequel that cobbles together stuff you’ve seen before, and ends with a whimper rather than a scream.

Score: 2 out of 5 pumpkins.