The trend of rebooting classic horrors continues with a prequel to the 1976 classic The Omen. After the failure to capture the spirit (get it?) of The Exorcist with The Exorcist: Believer, The First Omen had meagre expectations. As the original was an Exorcist rip-off, would we get another generic horror film that relies on jump scares and gallons of blood? Thankfully, The First Omen comes as a bit of a surprise. The director seems to understand that making these kinds of films deserves pacing that builds tension and does not just go out for shocks.

Margaret, a young novice American nun, arrives at an orphanage in Rome. While there, she finds herself fighting against a darkness that hangs over the building, with nuns treating a young girl with disdain, some strange goings on and a conspiracy that leads her to a world she didn’t realise existed.

Making her feature debut, director Arkasha Stevenson approaches the project with the confidence of a seasoned veteran. Taking the opportunity to salute the original while trying not to insult it, she understands the period of filmmaking where throwing shocks and gore at the screen every five minutes was not what made 70s films so great.

Firstly, this prequel shows the events before The Omen and how Damien came to be. While it wants to be its own thing, it does reference the original, whether from the obvious (a photo of Gregory Peck pops up during the film) or the subtle (the deaths are definite nods to the deaths from the first film). Even Father Brennan, the priest who tries to warn Peck and his wife, Lee Remick, about their son, played by Patrick Troughton, is one of the key characters in this. This is a film that fans will relish with the easter eggs.

That doesn’t mean those unfamiliar with the series will be left out. As this is a sequel, it follows on immediately. What Stevenson and her writing team have cleverly done is lead us down the path towards where the original starts while at the same time allowing room to take the story elsewhere if a follow-up is needed. It also works thanks to a fundamental understanding of delivering shocks. There are moments throughout when we are not telegraphed the chills in advance. Things just happen without warning, which makes the horror work far better.

As a film, the story, and I refuse to give anything away, moves along at a pace that helps with the atmosphere of terror. Don’t go in expecting horror every five minutes, and don’t expect unnecessary gore and blood. There are scenes of gore, but they are necessary to move the plot along. Remember, we are dealing with the devil here, so deaths will occur. The film seems to be more interested in Maraget’s journey as she tries to save the young girl who could be the incubus of the devil. We get the creepy ancient rooms of the orphanage, nuns appearing around dark corridors and a slow realisation of what is about to happen.

As Margaret, Nell Tiger Free captures the paranoia and fear of a situation that is brilliantly out of her hands. She wants to be a representation of goodness and kindness but knows that she has to be tough to take on such a dominant force. Bill Nighy, who pops up as Cadninal Lawrence, gives the film some gravitas and Ralph Ineson, as Father Brennan, does a good job capturing Troughton’s terrified priest.

The First Omen isn’t as good as the original but is better than the two sequels (although I did like Damien: Omen II), and it jumps upon the memory of the 2006 Omen remake. Those looking for a fast-paced gorefest should look elsewhere. This has the feel of the decade for those wanting to get a sense of 70s horror. It’s not terrifying, but definitely creepy.

3 out of 5

Director: Arkasha Stevenson

Starring: Nell Tiger Free, Ralph Ineson, Sonia Braga, Bill Nighy, Charles Dance, Tawfeek Barhom, Maria Cabellero, Nicole Sorace

Written by: Tim Smith, Arkasha Stevenson, Keith Thomas (story) Ben Jacoby and (based on characters created) David Seltzer

Running Time: 120 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 5th April 2024