Establishing the lore is an important part of the best horror movie franchises, and it’s definitely not unusual to see stories explored in sequels and prequels that explain the origins of the evil in question. In the case of The Omen, that evil is the antichrist, or rather, Damien Thorn. And the upcoming film The First Omen allows audiences to witness the events that led to his existence. Critics have weighed in on the prequel and they are all talking about the “gnarly,” “gory” and “gruesome” birth scene that they're predicting is going to have quite an effect on moviegoers.
First reactions to the movie were positive, with plenty of praise for Nell Tiger Free, who plays Margaret Daino, an American who moves to Rome to begin her life as a nun. In the CinemaBlend review of The First Omen, Eric Eisenberg says that while there are some excellent scares, the story succumbs to typical prequel trappings. He rates the movie 2.5 stars out of 5, writing:
Smart camerawork and cutting (collaborations with cinematographer Aaron Morton and editors Amy E. Duddleston and Bob Murawski) yield freaky jolts that will have horror fans smiling in the aftermath, but there are also particular sequences that will widen the eyes of even the most jaded and desensitized viewer. There’s a grisly car accident and a horrible immolation to look forward to, but the showstopper is an on-screen birth that is far more graphic than any regular movie-goer would believe it could be… and that’s all I will say about it so that you can have the chance to marvel at it without expectations as I did.
Kate Stables of GamesRadar also takes note of the body horror in the scene in question, and overall calls the prequel “devilishly good.” While in the same milieu as the recently released Immaculate and 2023’s The Nun II, The First Omen is “a cut above,” Stables says, rating it 4 out of 5 stars. In the critic’s words:
Stevenson makes something female-driven and pleasingly original from the film’s horror heritage, as the brave but terrified Margaret digs into orphanage files (and its terrifying crypt) in an attempt to save Carlita. Like Immaculate, there’s a strong message about post-Roe-vs-Wade female bodily autonomy here, especially in the gory, feisty finale. A fabulously intense, no-holds-barred performance from Free keeps things swinging along in high style.
Frank Scheck of THR says this movie feels like a fever dream when compared to the more realistic-feeling tone of the 1976 original. While director Arkasha Stevenson succeeds in creating a disquieting atmosphere, nothing feels particularly unique, though it does bring the body horror. Scheck continues:
Since the original Omen is beloved for, among other reasons, its truly startling violent set pieces, the prequel doubles down, leaning so heavily into extremely gory body horror that David Cronenberg should get royalties. There’s one scene in particular that will have audiences buzzing, or retching, or both — suffice it to say this is not a film to be screened at Lamaze classes.
Chris Bumbray of JoBlo rates The First Omen a “great” 8 out of 10, saying he was shocked at how much fun it was, and with the ending allegedly providing sequel opportunity, the critic is interested to see where the franchise might go next. Bumbray writes:
Director Arkasha Stevenson (of SyFy’s Channel Zero) will likely come off this as one of the fastest-rising new names in horror. She’s made an Omen film that’s distinctly not what fans feared it might be – watered-down and overly safe. It’s actually quite provocative, with several images, including a gruesome birthing scene, pushing the limits of the R-rating in a way I didn’t expect from a movie bankrolled by Disney.
Tomris Laffly of RogerEbert.com gives it 3.5 out of 4 stars, saying we’re lucky to live in a time when movies “gleefully slice up an abdomen” in its “messy, skin-crawling” scene that is bound to have moviegoers talking, if not full-on gagging. In Laffly’s words:
The First Omen plays like a more serious companion piece to ‘Immaculate’ in spotlighting the hypocrisy of religion, one that rings timelessly true both in the narrative’s decades-old period and in today’s post Roe v. Wade world. In fact, the painful and political loss of one’s bodily autonomy is so top of mind in The First Omen that it unleashes onto the world one of the most shocking birth scenes of cinema … perhaps ever, confronting the audience with what that pain looks like, and how demonic it just might feel. The whole thing is so provocative, beautifully cinematic and in touch with its head-decapitating roots that you will forgive the slight drag in its final act.
Witney Siebold of SlashFilm gives the film 8.5 out of 10, calling it the best horror movie of 2024 so far. Siebold suggests that when we’re seeing so many revivals and sequels that lack creativity, it’s refreshing to see a project that is “thoughtfully menacing, uniquely stylish, deathfully intense, and utterly terrifying.” If that birth scene is anywhere more visceral than this critic’s description, I can see what all the fuss is about. Siebold writes:
For the most part, Stevenson eschews nostalgia in favor of — imagine that! — actual horror. The First Omen is pungent, dripping with fluids, and featuring a few startling rounds of gnarly violence. Demon hands emerge from places they should not, and a woman's bodies are aggressively mutilated by a series of scalpels and needles designed to keep her in her place.
If these reactions have you even more excited to check out The First Omen, you don’t have to wait long. The prequel hits theaters on Friday, April 5. Be sure to check out all of the other upcoming horror movies, as well as our 2024 movie release calendar to see upcoming films of all genres.
