The First Omen
2024
*
Director: Arkasha Stevenson
Cast: Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, Bill Nighy, Maria Caballero, Charles Dance, Nicole Sorace, Ishtar Currie-Wilson, Andrea Arcangeli, Guido Quaglione, Dora Romano, Anton Alexander
The Omen (1976) spawned numerous sequels and a remake, and now we get a prequel, which shows us how Damien was conceived. It goes without saying that nobody was curious about his backstory and after 48 years, there is absolutely no need for this movie. But here we go nevertheless. In 1971, a young American trainee nun arrives in Rome to begin her service in a Catholic orphanage, where she experiences terrifying visions and discovers a secret faction within the Church. Arkasha Stevenson's directorial debut looks good, but the story is stupefyingly formulaic and mind-numbingly boring.
