--- title: "The First Omen: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-first-omen/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-first-omen" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The First Omen (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 16 reviews: 10 positive, 4 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics come away pleasantly surprised that a late prequel to a 1976 horror film is this good, and the praise lands in two places: Arkasha Stevenson’s direction, on her feature debut, and Nell Tiger Free’s lead performance. Reviewers repeatedly credit Stevenson with atmosphere, painterly images and body horror that is nastier and more female-centred than the franchise has managed before, and several call the 1971 Rome setting a real asset. The reservations are consistent too. Because the film must arrive where the original begins, many find the reveals predictable and the last act weaker than the first, and a few think the gore is doing work the characters should be doing. The spread is fairly wide. The Telegraph finds it short of real tension until its final minutes, The Wrap calls the story tedious, and The Hollywood Reporter thinks the atmosphere covers for a plot that does not hold together. Variety, more mildly, rates it below the similar Immaculate. ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 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. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-first-omen-review/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-the-first-omen-is-actually-a-good-omen-movie.html) ## The AV Club — Matthew Jackson Rating B+. 5 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-first-omen-movie-review-1851386463) ## Slant Magazine — Kyle Turner Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-first-omen-review-arkasha-stevenson/) ## Time Out — Ian Freer Rating 4/5. 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-first-omen-2024) ## Empire — Catherine Bray Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-first-omen/) ## Los Angeles Times — Joshua Rothkopf Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 5 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-04-05/the-first-omen-review-horror-arkasha-stevenson-nell-tiger-free-nunsploitation) ## Radio Times Rating 3/5. 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/the-first-omen-review/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/apr/04/the-first-omen-prequel-horror) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/the-first-omen-review-omen-prequel-1235960076/) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/the-first-omen-review/) ## IndieWire — Alison Foreman 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-first-omen-review-1234970832/) ## Screen Daily 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-first-omen-review/5191837.article) ## Sight and Sound 5 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/first-omen-surprisingly-lively-take-well-worn-franchise-mythology) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-first-omen-review-horror-prequel-1235864544/) ## The New York Times — Brandon Yu Rating Critic’s Pick. 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/movies/the-first-omen-review.html) ## The Times — Ed Potton Rating ★★★☆☆. 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-first-omen-film-review-x29rq3xfx) ## /Film — Witney Seibold Rating 8.5/10. 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1555035/the-first-omen-review-horror-prequel-done-right/) ## Den of Geek — Rosie Fletcher Rating 4/5. 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-first-omen-review/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating 7/10. 5 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-first-omen-review/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2024/04/the-first-omen-review-gory-nuns-story-prequel-to-1976-original-1235874335/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-first-omen-review-nell-tiger-free/) ## Paste — Brianna Zigler Rating 8.0. 5 April 2024. 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. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/horror-movies/the-first-omen-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-first-omen.md