The First Omen First Reactions Are All Saying The Same Shocking Thing
As Blumhouse Productions and David Gordon Green learned the hard way last year with The Exorcist: Believer, not every classic film needs a reboot, prequel, sequel, or reimagining. So, when it was announced that Arkasha Stevenson would be teaming up with 20th Century Studios to make her feature-length directorial debut via The First Omen, audiences were understandably a bit hesitant to see how the prequel would play out. Now that its arrival is just one week away, first reactions are rolling in, and you may be shocked to find out that critics have mostly great things to say about the production.
First Reactions To The First Omen Are Positive
Words like “stunned,” “incredibly thoughtful,” “terrifying,” “grisly,” and the like were all dropped across different first reactions to The First Omen. Along with the possession plot that audiences know they’re getting into, one of the reviews cited the intertwining with sexual abuse inside the Catholic Church as the extra edge that gave the film a deeper meaning and purpose. Others praised the performances of the cast, primarily that of the movie’s star, Nell Tiger Free (Game of Thrones).
A Terrifying Adaptation As Good As The Original
If you were one of the many concerned about how the prequel would hold up to the iconic 1976 film led by Gregory Peck, have no fear as horror buffs said that The First Omen “raises the bar” on not just the original but all the other films to come before it. Another review – “Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach” teases heaps of gore and an onslaught of jump scares.
Nell Tiger Free Gives A Riveting Performance
“The entire cast is wholly committed here, but Nell Tiger Free commands the screen. The physicality she taps into in THE FIRST OMEN is visceral. What is most damning – for better or worse – is how timely and timeless the overarching motivation is here for the horror,” wrote Sarah Musnicky on X.
In The First Omen, an aspiring nun is sent from America to Rome to begin her journey to pledge herself to God and the Catholic Church. But, upon her arrival, nothing is as it seems as she soon finds herself at the center of a supernatural and sinister plot to bring about the birth of something truly evil. Along with Nell Tiger Free, the prequel also features a leading performance from Ralph Ineson whose name has been tied to many titles to come from the genre including The Witch, The Pope’s Exorcist, and the highly-anticipated Robert Eggers-helmed Nosferatu remake.
The Connection To The Original
Ineson has a very important part to portray as he’ll appear as Father Brennan – the main character who will connect The First Omen to The Omen. As fans of the film that kicked off the franchise will know, Father Brennan is an integral part of the events of the original film and was played by Doctor Who’s Patrick Troughton in the 1976 scare-fest.
The First Omen Releases Soon
The First Omen is the second big-budget film based around faith to drop this year with the Sydney Sweeney-led Immaculate possessing theaters for the first time last week. Another story of the Catholic Church’s misdoings, Immaculate has a similar storyline to The First Omen as far as mystical and demonic pregnancies go and also appears to have a lot of body-heavy horror.
Other titles to look out for this year for horror lovers are Late Night with the Devil, MaXXXine, Abigail, The Strangers: Chapter 1, and Infested. But first, get your kicks with The First Omen when it begins to haunt audiences everywhere on April 5.
