Whereas this and Immaculate both share remarkable similarities with their overall plot structures, The First Omen is the superior film of the two and more effective. Despite possessing a general creepy atmosphere, Immaculate majorly benefitted from Sydney Sweeney's impressive performance. While no sequel or prequel can match the original Omen in terms of masterful scares and suspense, the newest prequel works surprisingly well and holds its own as being a faithful precursor to the 1976 horror classic. The plot has a young nun beginning to question her own faith when she uncovered a terrifying conspiracy to bring about the birth of the antichrist in Rome. Whereas Immaculate and The First Omen share virtually the same plot, it's the way that both films go about executing their stories that make them distinct while possessing timely commentary regarding women's bodily autonomy. When it comes to performances, the cast nails it with Nell Tiger Free being solid as Margaret, a young American woman sent to Rome to work at an orphanage before taking the veil. Like Sweeney in Immaculate, Nell carries the film on her shoulders and elevates it to being a genuinely creepy experience while garnering the audience's complete sympathy. She is spot-on here and brilliantly conveys the fear and terror that's unfolding before the audience's eyes. Ralph Ineson gives a scene-stealing performance as Father Brennan, a desperate priest who warns Margaret of an evil conspiracy within the church. Other noteworthy performances include Sonia Braga as Sister Silva, Tawfeek Barhom as Father Gabriel, Bill Nighy as senior member of the Catholic church, Cardinal Lawrence, Maria Caballero as Margaret's roommate Luz, Nicole Sorace in a stellar acting debut performance as Carlita, and the always excellent Charles Dance as Father Harris. Much of the films power is largely driven by the performances of its talented cast who show clear enthusiasm and devotion towards the source material.
Directed by Arkasha Stevenson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Tim Smith and Keith Thomas from a story by Ben Jacoby, Stevenson crafts a visually appealing supernatural horror tale from its stunning cinematography right down to its creepy imagery and hugely effective sound effects during the films torture scenes. It's extremely hard to take your eyes off what's happening on-screen with the moments of body horror being stunningly well-executed. The films music score by Mark Koven does a fine job of adding to the intensity of the terror unfolding while containing key pieces of music which serves as being a homage to composer Jerry Goldsmith's 1976 Oscar winning score for the original Omen, most notably the inclusion of the chant "Ave Satani", which brilliantly connects both films together. The writing is surprisingly smart and cleverly thought out to where the prequels story links up to the originals without ruining continuity. The prequel dives into key themes regarding faith, how belief equals power, and faith that's unchecked can lead to disaster as corrupt religious organizations use drastic measures to draw people back to the church. While the film leaves much to the audience's imagination in an admirable less is more approach (A rape is implied but not shown), it isn't without its share of gruesome moments including an explicit C-section scene where a claw comes out of a woman's vagina, and bits where characters get ripped in half with organs and intestines falling out along with heads sliced open. There's one instance where a character straight up lights themself on fire and hangs from a high balcony in a way that pays direct homage to a chilling sequence from the original. Aside from the films solid jump scares, the story carries with it a touch of progressivism with the revealing that ruling through fear is evil, and that women should be in charge of their own bodies (A statement made more powerful in the post Roe Vs. Wade era).
Overall, there's really no other way to sum up the franchises newest entry other than it being a genuinely pleasant surprise for horror fans. Whereas most prequels buckle under the weight of their original works, this one actually remains faithful to its counterpart while being able to extend the story. It doesn't fully escape the familiarity of the original masterwork and has a few cheesy bits (The end twist, though effective, feels cliched with the audience seeing the reveal coming a mile away) but in playing within the confines of a near 50-year-old film series, The First Omen offers brains, solid scares, and a promising future for the franchise.
Final Verdict: Easily the year's strongest horror film, a must watch if you're a fan of the original.
