A rookie American nun embarks on a journey to an Italian nunnery, where, considering the typical plotline, a plot to birth the Devil’s offspring is gradually taking shape. This isn’t entirely a bad prequel to the Omen, and its resemblance to the previous film ‘Immaculate’ is striking. It seems as though the cinema industry has fallen prey to a malevolent mystic force.
‘The First Omen’ may not meet the calibre of the recent hit featuring Sydney Sweeney, but it’s considerably superior, or at least not as poor, as one might have anticipated. A straightforward calculation shows that a prequel to the 1976 demon-child thriller would be set at the beginning of that decade. Margaret Daino (an audacious Nell Tiger Free) lands in Rome, a city brimming with both timeless illumination and concurrent discord.
In a subtly smart manner, the scriptwriters incorporate the violent political disarray imminent in Western Europe. While being driven from the airport, Cardinal Bill Nighy discusses the Catholic Church’s retreat from secularism and potential method adjustments – he isn’t joking. This all hints that the entire Omen series might be a form of deceptive operations.
Upon reaching the nunnery that doubles as an orphanage, Margaret encounters a traditionally strict abbess (Sônia Braga, animated even in her older years) and an archetypally deranged young woman (Nicole Sorace enjoying her role excellently). Still yet to fully fit in, our protagonist takes up residence in the city with a stylish co-nun (Maria Caballero) and plans her last night out.
Director Arkasha Stevenson, on her debut feature, expertly captures the 1970s aura. But rather than showing the decade as it actually was, she presents it as it has been idealised since then, complete with form-fitting shirts, fervent tobacco use, and Italian renditions of Boney M tunes. It’s all suitably seedy and fetid. Be prepared, however, for elements of unsettling gynaecological horror and violent corporeal divisions.
Though it’s quite clear and unspoken, the movie, as it progresses, descends into unbridled havoc, losing its original cohesion. However, when compared to the disastrous Exorcist follow-up which premiered a year or so prior, The First Omen emerges as quite a satisfactory sequel, exceeding expectations. Possibly this might be the reason.
The cinematic release of The First Omen is marked for Friday, 5th of April.