The First Omen was released on Friday, April 5. The film follows Margaret, a woman who begins to question her faith after uncovering a terrifying conspiracy to bring about the birth of an evil incarnate in Rome.

The standouts here are the cinematography and sound design. While The First Omen does feature quite a bit of gore and blood, I appreciated the terror delivered just from the audio itself at times. The flick doesn’t always show every gory moment, but rather utilizes sound to encapsulate the audience in the scene. The film was shot and edited in a way to fully engross the audience as well, capturing both the beauty and darkness in every moment. 

On numerous occasions, The First Omen is able to execute successful jump scares that actually made me jolt a little. It’s not often that these moments get a reaction out of me, but this flick did so effectively several times, without over-relying on it. Alongside that, the tension and suspense are always looming here. You can feel the dread slowly creeping up, until it explodes in the last 30 minutes.

The final act of The First Omen was the strongest portion of the movie. It was incredibly well executed, with several moments that had my entire body tense. A phenomenal performance from Nell Tiger Free is on display here, fully immersing herself into the role.

Making a prequel to a 48-year-old film is a bold choice. While this could have been an easy cash grab, The First Omen delivers enough scares to warrant its existence. In fact, there are several grotesque scenes that I haven’t been able to get out of my head. Whether you have seen the original or not, I believe this will be an experience that most horror fans will enjoy in some regard.

Rating: 4 out of 5