The First Omen (2024)

This classy, female-centred prequel is devilishly good, with atmospheric direction, tense mood and a standout lead performance that brings originality to the horror heritage.

The review celebrates the film as a rare good Omen entry, soaked in stylish, textured, and shocking images that tap visceral fears and blend societal anxieties with effective horror mood and expressionism.

The critic calls it a satisfying prequel that stands on its own as grisly Catholic horror, anchored by a strong lead performance and clever direction that toys with expectations while delivering thrills.

The critic lauds the stylish, faith-defying prequel for subverting horror tropes with painterly visuals, eroticism, and political context, positioning the director as an urgent new voice in the genre.

The review calls it thoughtful and engaging horror hokum told with unswerving commitment, praising the director's handling of scares and the lead's performance. It notes the film eschews gimmicky callbacks while remaining unsettling.

The film delivers stylish horror tropes and strong set-pieces in a nunsploitation prequel but suffers from pacing issues and feels familiar rather than revelatory.

The critic praises the stylish atmosphere, period detail, and visual flair from debut director Arkasha Stevenson. It notes the film gets the job done with suspense but is diminished by its foregone conclusion and lack of imagination compared to similar recent horrors.

The critic describes a solidly crafted if frequently pedestrian story that provides atmosphere and touchstones to the original but lacks substance in its themes. It concludes the film does what it says on the tin but not much more.

The stylish prequel has flair and effective body horror early on but is ultimately undermined by having to align with the franchise's familiar plot points and a weak final act.

The review calls it a decently executed prequel that is less scary than the 1976 original but more profane, with legitimate shocks and sacrilegious elements. It notes the film pales next to the superior “Immaculate” and risks diluting the franchise’s impact.

The prequel tries too hard to establish its own angle on the Antichrist's origins but lacks real darkness and tension until the final minutes, missing the impact of the original.

The review praises the film's ambitious origin story for the Antichrist and its potential to launch a messy but compelling new chapter in the franchise, highlighting the director's debut.

The review portrays a grim, often upsetting prequel that traces the origins of Damien with effective dread and bad vibes. It notes narrative similarities to other recent horror films while highlighting the dual mysteries at its core.

The critic finds the prequel a surprisingly lively and enjoyable act of IP renovation that is impressively paced with effective shocks. It praises Nell Tiger Free's striking performance while noting the callbacks are harmless fan service.

The critic describes the film as a fever dream with strong atmosphere created by the director but weak narrative coherence, relying on cheap jump scares and excessive gory body horror.

The critic finds the prequel a thrilling mash-up of horror tropes that gives the story new life. It effectively uses its 1971 Rome setting for scale and compositional impact while delivering a pulpy narrative about the Antichrist’s origins.

The film traces Damien's origins with some effective female body horror and gothic style but lacks the original's sinister inevitability and leans too heavily on familiar tropes.

The critic calls the film an excellent, terrifying prequel that is thoughtfully menacing, uniquely stylish, and utterly terrifying. They highlight the director's visual assurance, drum-tight editing, eerie sound design, and slow-burn intensity while noting some obligatory callbacks to the original as a minor weakness.

The critic calls it an effective prequel to the 1976 original that is very much its own film and intensely female, crediting director Arkasha Stevenson’s feature debut for bringing art-house body horror and subversive elements to the franchise. She notes strong visuals, pacing, and performances but finds some lore nods and prequel constraints limiting its full potential.

The critic praises the film's smart, unsettling approach to horror that builds dread without relying on jump scares, highlighting Nell Tiger Free's haunting performance. They single out the restraint in terrifying sequences for praise, while noting some predictable reveals as a minor complaint.

The critic finds the prequel stylish and well-crafted as a psychological thriller with strong performances and setting, though predictable in its genre tropes and not for the squeamish. They single out the excellent cast and Italian locations for praise.

The review criticizes the film for its tedious story and prequel constraints, noting it invests more in grotesque gore than characters. It praises Nell Tiger Free's performance and the director's handling of brutality.

The critic finds the prequel surprisingly effective and fresh, commending its image-focused direction and skin-crawling visuals over typical horror tropes. They single out the strong atmospheric tension and pro-choice undertones for praise.