Rating 4/10
The First Omen is the sixth installment in the horror franchise. Initially skeptical, but the siren call of favorable reviews enticed me. Alas, my risk did not yield a reward. This is yet another hackneyed horror entry that exploits religion to no effect.
1971 was a year marked by political strife and societal unrest in Italy. Set against the backdrop of a tumultuous year in Rome, the account introduces a young woman named Margaret. She has embraced a vocation of nunhood as her life’s calling. Guided by the mentorship of a Cardinal (Bill Nighy), Margaret’s journey leads her to an orphanage, where she encounters a series of strange events. Among these are the tragic self-immolation of a nun and the enigmatic presence of an orphan named Carlita. These are harbingers of a sinister presence lurking beneath the surface of this institution.
As the narrative unfurls, Margaret experiences unsettling visions, which lead her to Father Brennan, portrayed with the voice of authority by Ralph Ineson. Through these clandestine meetings, that he revelers the diabolical plot within the church is revealed. The desire to reignite the waning faith has caused a sect within the clergy to take farfetched measures. Not the entire Roman Catholic Church, mind, just a rogue sect. This conveniently alleviates the filmmakers from the controversy of castigating an entire faith that counts 1.4 billion believers worldwide.
The film’s desire to present an occult conspiracy is memorable, but not in a good way. The intense imagery, particularly the scenes of childbirth gone wrong, etches upon the viewer’s psyche. Two scenes, rendered with a raw and unflinching gaze, evoke a visceral response. So graphic are these depictions that I could not help but avert my eyes from the grotesque spectacle. Apparently, I was not alone.
The First Omen initially found itself saddled with the weight of an NC-17 in the U.S.——an imprimatur of taboo that forbids mainstream exhibition. Nevertheless, the filmmakers remained resolute in avoiding this unfavorable rating. The film was submitted five times without any changes. The board relented, and they bestowed a more palatable R.
As the latest in a series I am invited to draw comparisons. In The Omen (1976). Gregory Peck and Lee Remick brought the class to a narrative that was more subtle. All of the sequels have fallen short to varying degrees. I will admit that even the original was released in the wake of far more critically acclaimed variations that used religion to the horrific effect: Rosemarry’s Baby and The Exorcist. The passage of nearly five decades since its inception has dimmed the novelty of these generic antichrist tales. The latest iteration pales in comparison to the 1976 classic.
Despite being a prequel, The First Omen falls short of recapturing the essence of its forebear. It does, however, exist as a self-contained prequel that can be understood without prior knowledge of its lineage. However, the magnitude cast by its many predecessors is formidable. We live in a landscape saturated with “religious horror” movies: The Wicker Man (1973), The Devil’s Advocate (1997), Stigmata (1999), The Rite (2011), The Conjuring (2013), The Witch (2015), and Hereditary (2018) among them. It is wise to heed the call of nostalgia and revisit the original. Leave this prelude to languish in the shadows.
04-09-24