The classic horror film is getting an advance copy

Sonia Braga (left) and Neil Tiger Free in “The First Omen”

Maurice Puccio / 20th Century Studios

Here’s some free advice for any nun, or any young woman thinking about becoming a nun: Whatever you do, don’t go to Italy, especially Rome. It won’t end well. Especially if you end up pregnant.

It arrives quickly on the heels of Sidney Sweeney’s bloody twist on The Virgin Birth Immaculate, very clean, very organized Come The first omena prequel to Richard Donner’s 1976 religious horror classic, which devilishly spawned three sequels, a 2006 remake, and a short-lived 2016 TV series (Damien). Apparently, all of this wasn’t enough to satisfy the needs of the horror franchise’s fanbase or the movie studio’s accountants, as we now have this effort detailing exactly how demon child Damian entered the life of ill-fated American Ambassador Robert Thorne. His wife was played memorably Omen By Gregory Peck and Lee Remick.

The film provides an answer to a question that most people may not have asked yet, as evidenced by the latest film Al-Mu’awwidhatayn: The believer, horror franchises never tire of beating a dead horse. (Even the classic Universal Frankenstein films of the 1930s gradually lost their welcome after that bride Frankenstein(At least until Abbott and Costello met the creature.)

To appreciate this debut film from director Arcasha Stevenson, it’s best to rewatch Donner’s original film, as Stevenson and co-screenwriters Tim Smith and Keith Thomas, working from a story by Ben Jacobi, throw in plenty of fun shout-outs, including one character who attacks herself in a… He recalls the horrific death of Damien’s first nanny. One of the previous film’s minor characters, Father Brennan, features prominently in this prequel, now played by a haunting-looking Ralph Ineson (the Northman). There are no doubt many references that loyal fans will pick up on, although I wish Jerry Goldsmith’s eerie, Oscar-winning score had been replicated.

The story takes place in the early 1970s and revolves around Margaret (an impressive character from Nell Tiger Free, Servant), a young novice sent by the church to Rome to work in an orphanage. She is warmly received by Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy), her old mentor, but not by many of the nuns, including Sister Silva (Sonia Braga). In fact, the nuns at the orphanage are not exactly warm and fuzzy, and seem so serious that it seems that horror is their profession.

Margaret finds some supportive friends like Father Gabriel (Tawfik Barhoum), a young priest, and Luz (Maria Caballero), her roommate at the orphanage. The latter makes a determined effort to bring the newcomer out of her shell by encouraging her to wear a flowing dress and accompanying her to a nightclub where she meets a young man who soon meets an untimely and very gruesome end.

Margaret also tries to connect with Carlita (Nicole Sorace), a troubled young woman at the orphanage to whom she feels an emotional connection despite the warnings of the excommunicated Brennan, who has become convinced that the church is trying to create the Antichrist for certain reasons. This isn’t quite made clear (it certainly seems counter-intuitive). In an early scene, he tries to reach out to another priest, Father Harris (Charles Dance, don’t relate too much), which doesn’t work out too well since characters in these films are highly susceptible to falling objects.

While the events in the first omen Seemingly taking place in a real world that happens to include demonic characters, this film feels more like a fever dream, its bizarre story taking a backseat to a nightmarish vision that’s more about mood than narrative cohesion. To his credit, director Stevenson creates an unsettling atmosphere, bolstered by an endless series of cheap jumps. As with many contemporary horror entries, one can’t get a tap on the shoulder without it being accompanied by shocking editing and horrific noises.

Since the original omen It’s beloved, among other reasons, for its truly shocking, violent scenes, and doubles as a prequel, leaning so heavily into body horror so bloody that David Cronenberg should get the royalties. There’s one scene in particular that will make the audience gasp, vomit, or both – suffice to say this is not a film to be shown in Lamaze classes.

Ultimately, it feels very familiar, and not just because this is the second movie in as many months about nuns and the birth of the Antichrist. This is not the fault of the talented young heroine, whose emotional and physical commitment to her role is extremely impressive. Hopefully next time she will get the opportunity to star in a cute romantic comedy.