The new film is a solidly crafted if frequently pedestrian story which is never short on atmosphere. <\/p>
By Terry Staunton\n \t\t<\/p>
Published: Thursday, 04 April 2024 at 16:00 PM<\/p>
The makers of reboots, prequels and origin stories are all too aware they\u2019re wielding a double-edged sword. On paper, there is a proven audience warmly receptive to the core aspects of what they\u2019re doing, but it\u2019s an audience that could just as easily turn on them.<\/p>\n
Although it\u2019s been some time since 2006\u2019s straight remake of 1976\u2019s The Omen, the devilish franchise\u2019s fans remain devout, and any new film that strays too far from the template is likely to send filmgoers\u2019 heads spinning faster than the wheels on young Damien\u2019s unruly tricycle.<\/p>\n
Wisely, The First Omen makes a point of providing a smattering of touchstones to that opening chapter (there\u2019s lots of scaffolding on view), even down to film stock with a faint grain, in keeping with what was used back in the \u201870s.<\/p>\n
Director Arkasha Stevenson steers clear of 21st century gloss, to the point where the overall look of the movie borrows from the grimy bygone Euro horrors of, say, Dario Argento.<\/p>
The film certainly isn\u2019t short on atmosphere, although the laconic pace of the narrative arguably belongs to another time as well. It demands patience of its viewers, but seeing as most will be aware of its place in the timeline and know what\u2019s coming, it\u2019s safe to assume they\u2019re willing to take the ride.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the early \u201870s (a few years prior to events in the original film) and youth dissent is rife, revolution in the air. In the midst of this trouble and turmoil, the Catholicism of the Omen universe has largely split into two factions; one diligently following the teachings of Christ, while the other gets its kicks on Route 666.<\/p>\n
The latter\u2019s game plan is to bring about the birth of the Antichrist, and create a global climate of fear that will send folk rushing back to the comforting bosom of the church. Consequently, a shady cabal has been tasked with finding a young mother to deliver the Satanic saviour.<\/p>\n
Our heroine is 21-year-old Margaret (Nell Tiger Free, familiar to Game Of Thrones watchers as Myrcella Baratheon), an American novice nun dispatched to work in an orphanage in Rome, on the recommendation of her mentor Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy in familiarly avuncular mode).<\/p>\n
Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n As Margaret struggles to persuade her elders to spare the rod, she comes into contact with Father Brennan, an ex-communicated Irish priest who believes the child is central to a conspiracy to return The Devil to Earth, and that she\u2019s just the latest in a long line of girls, all named Carlita, and the victims of failed experiments to midwife the Antichrist.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t take a degree in theology to see where all this is heading, although Stevenson enjoys distracting us with detours involving Margaret\u2019s fellow novice roommate intent on one last wild-child hurrah in Rome\u2019s nightspots before finally \u201ctaking the veil\u201d, and another unhinged nun driven to suicide in a truly over-the-top manner.<\/p>\n The last act plot twist and final scene\u2019s reveal of the name bestowed upon the sinister spawn (see above for a clue) won\u2019t surprise anyone, but with a running time five minutes shy of two hours, it probably takes too long to get there. Earlier ruminations on the role of the church in modern society could have been expanded upon, at the expense of one or two of the many scenes of Margaret staring forlornly at the world around her.<\/p>\n Ultimately, we only get broad hints of the war raging between good and evil, resulting in a solidly crafted if frequently pedestrian story. The First Omen does what it says on the tin, but not much more.<\/p>\n\n