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 hop... Read allA 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.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.
- Awards
- 4 wins & 19 nominations total
- Sister Silva
- (as Sônia Braga)
- Sister Anjelica
- (as Ishtar Currie Wilson)
Featured reviews
The film is delightfully creepy and weird, including a sequence that legitimately gave me goosebumps. Fantastic cinematography and atmosphere actually makes the film feel like it could've come out in 1971.
Not only does it give context to the original but also answered some lingering questions I had after watching the original. A prequel that is not only worthy, but actually feels necessary.
While the pace might be too slow for some, I appreciated the way the film gradually builds tension. It has genuine scares, fueled more by atmosphere than cheap tricks. If you enjoy a classic, atmospheric horror experience, you might like this one.
Don't go in expecting a fast-paced thrill ride. Instead, be prepared for a film that aims to unnerve you. It won't blow you away with originality, but for fans of old-school horror, "The First Omen" offers some solid chills.
Especially after the 2006 Omen remake.
The story is not full of surprises. We always heard of Damian's birth, his real mother, the jackal. Now asome creative people wrote the story and brought it to life.
What to say? It's what you expect in the year 2024. But wait. It's more. Or better said: less!
It's a modern flick but in the style of the 70s. No jump scares. Just a good horror stories told in a decent way. The first death scene was something I haven't seen in a long time. An unexpected kind of killing and dying. But even more impressive. Not the usual "He's dead Jim" bloody jump scare death. More a "what the heck!? Really?" scene which keeps you mouth wide open.
And the movie continues this style of story telling and unexpected kills and how the people die. All in time without rush.
All in all this movie is doing things right other modern franchises are missing. A good story, people with patience and creativity who gave us something familiar from the past in times we only rush threw life.
The First Omen is a must watch for it's cinematography alone. Adding Nell Tiger Free as the incredible lead, eery body horror, spectacular sets and costumes and the feeling of 70s cinema.
It might be a tid bit too long and the whole Dan Brown-esque scavenger hunt wasn't fully working, but damn is it fun and just beautiful to watch.
Arkasha Stevenson did the original Omen justice.
I have to compare it to Immaculate since it's basically the same story, but so much better! Go watch this instead, trust me.
Nell Tiger Free is phenomenal, as the film progresses it demands more and she is always able to provide it. A late stage sequence has her going to a very visceral place and it leaves you speechless. Ralph Ineson gives Father Brennan a lot more humanity than he originally had and is great at establishing the stakes.
Arkasha Stevenson makes such a confident debut, skillfully choosing to harken back to the original not just with callbacks and musical cues but by imbuing this film with the same rich texture and slow burning pace of 70s cinema. She also crafts an atmosphere so potent that the few jump scares really land and the horrific imagery won't be forgotten anytime soon.
Did you know
- Trivia(at around 8 mins) When Maggie arrives in Rome, Cardinal Lawrence explains to her that there are ongoing riots between the Italian citizens, motivated, among other things, by students dissatisfied with the state and the Holy Church. This is historically accurate: after the social revolution of Paris in May 1968, this extended to other countries in Europe. In Italy it lasted from 1969 to the late 1980s, a period known in the country as the Years of Lead.
- GoofsThe film takes place in June 1971; however, in the original La Malédiction (1976), the birth of the child took place one year earlier, in 1970. This is established when Ambassador Thorn and Jennings open the tomb of Maria Scianna and her child: the date of death on the tombstone is VI VI MCMLXX (6/6/1970 in Roman numerals).
- Quotes
Father Brennan: [from trailer] How do you control people who no longer believe? You create something to fear.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Half in the Bag: Top 10 Horror Movies (2024) Part 2 (2024)
- SoundtracksSospesi Nel Cielo
Written by Ennio Morricone
Performed by Ennio Morricone, I 4 - 4 Di Nora Orlandi
Courtesy of Decca Music Limited
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- La primera profecía
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $30,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $20,092,802
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,353,710
- Apr 7, 2024
- Gross worldwide
- $53,845,880
- Runtime1 hour 59 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1