daryopeek

Given the premise, I only saw Immaculate as the cheap version of The First Omen. But, it turns out that Immaculate able to stand as a whole different movie. This movie able to give a simple enough plot to follow and understand even though I think there are many questions left unanswered. On the technical side, Immaculate likes to use gore as an effective shock value rather than jump-scare, making the movie feels "raw" in a good way.

The movie really escalates during the climax when the situation gets dirty. I still partially believe pregnant woman able to do all that, but the extremity sold me. The blood, the shock, and the scream, all symbolizing the horror endured by the main character making a very memorable ending for me this year.

Immaculate would be perfect if it explores the mystery subplot better, but I guess it's the creative choice to ensure a coherent (bloody) theme, and it's not a bad choice in my book.

Watching Possession is like experiencing a fever dream. It's almost surreal, catastrophic action-reaction from the characters that brought myself into their own tragedy. It's upsetting, terrorizing, and ultimately shocking me due to intense amount of hysteria given. Acting is dramatic, but I don't really follow why certain scenes need so much intensity. At some point, I wish I hadn't watch this movie, because of how nihilistic the plot is. But I guess that's the way this movie wants to portray a deteroriating, dysfunctional relationship.

I think this movie was marketed as a horror, which is something that can undersell the presented theme. Psychological drama is more fit, along with a sense of macabre that leave so many questions. But it's not about to answer every question, but to accompany a journey to madness.

As a prequel to The Omen that doesn't have notable sequels, The First Omen came as surprise, knowing how underdeveloped Hollywood horror prequels are. This movie knows what it wants, hugely inspired by 70's horror aesthetics (the moving zoom-in, relying on unsettling ambiences, etc.) create an amazing experience from the beginning to the end.

Much like its original work, The First Omen doesn't shy from graphic violence and jumpscares, but Stevenson as the director, knows how to use them effectively in order to thicken the mystery as the main plot. But, that's not what makes this movie amazing. The climax is a top-tier climax I've ever watch in a horror film. It's graphic, sadist, surreal, and horrifying, which I won't forget quickly. The climax also gives enough answer, but also enough unanswered questions that open for future sequel.

What keeps me from giving this film a perfect score is due to its slow pacing in the first act, which somehow disjoint the movie's pacing throughout the movie. But still, it's my personal favorite horror, even movie, of the year.