First Omen, The (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Aug 27, 2024
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Arkasha StevensonRelease Date(s)
2024 (July 30, 2024)Studio(s)
Phantom Four Films/20th Century Studios (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)- Film/Program Grade: B-
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A-
- Extras Grade: B-
Review
The Omen is the 1976 horror classic that starred Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as the parents of the Antichrist. It’s one of the best horror films of the late 20th century. With its strong cast, intelligent script, escalating suspense, and gruesome set pieces, it stands head and shoulders above many of its contemporaries. Subsequent films in the franchise attempted to recapture those elements, some more successfully than others. It was inevitable that there would be a prequel—The First Omen.
Set in 1971, The First Omen focuses on young American novitiate Margaret (Nell Tiger Free, Broken), who arrives in Rome to work at a Catholic orphanage where she will eventually take her vows as a nun. Margaret develops a close bond with Carlita (Nicole Sorance), a young girl who’s being mistreated by the nuns. Banished to the “Bad Room,” Carlita is often strapped to her bed and isolated from the other children. A rogue priest, Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson, To Catch a Killer), tells Margaret that the girl is being treated to keep her from fulfilling a frightening prophecy. Carlita is fated to give birth to the Antichrist, a boy who will be named Damien.
Unlike the original film, The First Omen doesn’t have several Big Moments but depends instead on the gradual unraveling of a terrifying reality. The pace is relatively slow and often lags too much. The First Omen tends to avoid overt references to the original film, unfolding the tale in a less visceral manner. Fans of the 1976 film might find this approach disappointing.
Most of the actors are effective and fairly restrained. Free and Sorance play the central characters and we see the events through their eyes. Ineson exudes cryptic menace as Father Brennan. Bill Nighy (Skylight) as Cardinal Lawrence conveys a calming authority. Maria Caballero (Olvido) is an enigmatic Luz, Margaret’s roommate. Ishtar Currie-Wilson gives a haunting performance as troubled Sister Angelica. Sonia Braga (Wonder) as elderly Sister Silva is an imposing, severe figure whose joylessness and stone face indicate she has a purpose other than overseeing the orphanage.
Sorance’s performance lacks nuance. That may have been on purpose to keep her character a mystery, but the blank look wears thin after a while. For a key character, she has little to do other than pout with sad eyes glaring.
The Rome locations add stature to the film and contribute significantly to its connection to the original. Roman landmarks, ordinary streets, crowds of tourists, and Italian-speaking locals help to bring the story back to its origins. Production design is very good at recapturing an early 1970s feel.
Mark Korven’s score for The First Omen doesn’t come close to the emotional impact of the original and does little to enhance mood. Missing is the constant, driving, sinister Ave Satani chorus from the first film that added so much to the sense of evil. Toward the end of the film, we hear a few chords of Ave Satani but its meager use is just a tease. By not using the theme throughout, Director Arkasha Stevenson missed an opportunity to both connect with the original film and give her own greater heft. Its tone of foreboding evil would have been a perfect touch.
What’s interesting about the story is its theme of distrust of the Catholic church. In the film, Church higher-ups worry that more and more Catholics are leaving the religion. To get them back, they feel something drastic must be done, so they plot to release the Antichrist on the world, reasoning that disaster will follow and drive those who have fled the religion to return. To the officials, the end justifies the means. In the Church’s grand plan, Carlita is merely a pawn.
As a first-time director, Stevenson does a solid job but never quite lets The First Omen live up to the original in shock value or originality. She’s a capable craftsperson and elicits very good performances from most of the cast, but there’s a sense of holding back, of not pulling out all the stops to make the film truly memorable. Fans of The Omen will want to see this picture in order to find out how it all began. Origin stories, after all, are always fascinating. As a fan of The Omen myself, I was hoping this film would live up to the original, but it unfortunately falls short.
The First Omen was captured digitally by director of photography Aaron Morton and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. On the Blu-ray, lighting depends largely on shadows and limited illumination from candles, an oil lamp, and moonlight. In one scene, from nearly complete darkness a horrible image slowly emerges. A disco scene features flashing blue light as dancers crowd the dance floor. Margaret and Luz go to the disco dressed provocatively, a far cry from their ultraconservative attire at the orphanage. The Roman locations hark back to the original film and add local flavor. The nuns, in black habits, seem to glide through the orphanage. A birthing scene is depicted in graphic detail.
The main audio option is English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. There are only a few jump scares, mostly of characters coming out of nowhere and surprising other characters. The fragment of the Ave Satani chorus heard toward the end of the film is the only direct aural connection to the first film. Dialogue is clear and distinct throughout. In the childbirth scene, the moans and cries of the mother are prominent and suggest more than typical birthing pain. Other audio options include English 2.0 Descriptive Audio, French and German 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, and French (Quebec) and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. Subtitle options include English SDH, French, French (Quebec), Spanish, German, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish.
Bonus materials on the Blu-ray release from 20th Century Studios include the following:
- The Director’s Vision (4:31)
- The Mystery of Margaret (5:42)
- Signs of The First Omen (8:43)
The Director’s Vision – Director Arkasha Stevenson says she had a visual concept of the film. She wanted to create a sense of paranoia. Margaret’s relationship with Carlita is the key to the story, which is seen through a female lens. Unbeknownst to the crew, filming took place during the 750th anniversary of Dante’s Inferno. The film creates a sense that characters are being watched at all times. The devil is a tool, religion the conduit.
The Mystery of Margaret – Margaret is sweet and shy, and has a destabilized sense of self. She was raised in a Catholic orphanage and not treated well by the nuns. Cardinal Lawrence eases her mind and gives her purpose. The film plays on fears of what can be done to a woman’s body. Margaret sees in Carlita a younger version of herself, and their relationship is a trigger to revive her own demons. Authoritative figures tell Margaret she’s ill and she confuses hallucination with reality.
Signs of The First Omen – Producer Keith Levine talks about the luxury of filming in Rome. Beautiful by day, at night the city is made to “look like putrescence.” The production design is meant to keep the viewer on edge. Details are significant. Three different buildings in Rome represented the orphanage. Margaret is transformed into a disco lady in one sequence. The outfits of the orphans suggest the kids aren’t cared for very well. Some of the special effects are discussed along with behind-the-scenes footage.
The First Omen is quite an achievement for a first-time director, who works diligently to connect this film to the original The Omen. A brisker pace would have gotten to the meat of the story more quickly and tightened the narrative. The First Omen is not a bad film, but it lacks the gut punch of the best horror films. This is the sixth iteration in the Omen franchise, which includes the original, three sequels, a remake and now, this prequel. If you’ve seen The Omen, you know how The First Omen will end, but getting there offers creepiness, rich atmosphere, and some unforeseen revelations.
- Dennis Seuling