The First Omen (2024) Review

A Prequel to the 1976 Classic, but is it necessary? Does it fit? Let’s discuss.
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Greeting ghouls and ghosts! Our names are Jason and Kali, and we are the horror couple of your dreams- or nightmares! Jason has been a film nut for over 30 years, and Kali has a hyper-fixation with horror and slashers. Together we spend most of our waking life watching films and obsessing over them. We record movie reviews and discussions weekly, and love watching and talking about both lesser known and popular films in the horror genre. Occasionally we also review comic books, video games, television series, and novels. Additionally, we also enjoy making short horror videos. Thanks for checking out our channel, and if you like our content please subscribe!
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⚠ Fair Use Disclaimer: I do not own any pictures/videos contained within this video.
"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

[@mindlander]

This film is masterful. Every aspect. The direction, cinematography, acting, sound design, set design.. Everything.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Finally saw it, huh?

[@mindlander]

@@sinistercinemareviews5420 yep. Like most people, i have lost all hope in prequels or sequels to the classics and was VERY VERY pleasantly surprised. Same way I felt about the Suspiria remake.

[@RandRPresentations]

Great review I’m excited to check it out. I’m loving the new style with the reviews it’s like you guys are straight out of the 80s

[@kristimarie7834]

I just saw it tonight. Went in completely blind I just heard there was a new omen by word of mouth and went and am so blown away!! I loved it!!! I wanted more with the jackal.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

I’m glad you enjoyed it so much

[@Snakeyturan]

wow the new channel intro is awesome jason!!!

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Thank you, I filmed it in my bedroom

[@allytrecartin8608]

It’s cool to see the YT members and Patreon at the start of the video. Nice addition!

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

You guys deserve it

[@durotan5245]

Bought my ticket for tomorrow. Now I’m even more pumped after watching this awesome review.

[@andressinks]

This was easily better than Immaculate. Probably would have liked it more if I hadn't watched this one. More ambitious and chilling throughout from the lead, sweeping sound and direction.

[@CrypticChance]

Loving the new intro Jason and Kali

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Thanks ❤️

[@lucygresham3012]

I mentioned The Omen the other day....so this is a must for me x My black cat Hicks approves Kalis t shirt x

[@tarman245]

I just got home from the theater, and I am super confused. In The Omen, Father Brennan sent Robert Thorn to Damiens' biological mothers' grave to reveal the truth of his origins. She was a Jackal. A whole scene was dedicated to that reveal. In this one, Father Brennan is helping Damiens biological mother,who isn't a Jackal,but a woman. Are they going to make another one to tie up Margaret,Carlita,and the other babys story? I have so many unanswered questions.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

They buried the Jackal in her grave cause she didn’t die.

[@davidsantacarla]

Caught this tonight with a friend and man, I was pleasantly surprised. It was very well shot, the sounds and score were very eerie (reminded me of 2001), it pulled zero punches. Though this isn’t my favorite subgenre and I’d only seen The Omen in this series, the thrills were way worth it. If you’re going to see it, see it on the big screen. It’s meant to be larger than life.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Awesome

[@GarganoA]

Didn't care for it as much as you guys but you're absolutely right that this is a case of fans not expecting much and getting at least SOMEthing. I'm not the biggest Omen franchise fan so I actually went in with the opposite expectations. I figured this would be an improvement on all the others but it wound up being just slightly better than Omens II, III and IV. I'll still take the '76 original and even the remake over this one. Didn't see Immaculate but between this and Late Night with the Devil, the other "satanic" horror out there right now, Late Night was more interesting and more effective.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

This is much much much much much better than the omen four

[@GarganoA]

@@sinistercinemareviews5420 Well yeah, I should have said the series got incrementally worse with each entry, IV being the shoddy made for TV production.

[@danwet]

Loved this film. Really enjoyed it.Haven’t seen Immaculate yet, because it doesn’t come out in theaters in my country til 3. May.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

What country?

[@danwet]

@@sinistercinemareviews5420 Norway

[@danwet]

@@sinistercinemareviews5420 Norway

[@abhiezibran9654]

I avoid studio horrors, yet I checked out immaculate and didnt like it as much as it's hype. But Sydney rocked it. The Omen original is my fav horror from the 70s that I was exposed to at very young age. So I watched even rhe 2006 remake and didnt hate it at all! But The first omen really disappointed me despite being enamored by Neil Tiger Harris' beauty. Mostly well shot, but a lot of editing issues and rhe acting by the nuns were not up to the mark I felt. I wish there were more from the opening scene's priests. Cz actingwise, I constantly felt this movie struggled to match even Immaculate. While they tried recreating some scenes from the OG, most of them felt forcefully thrown in without much build up. And it completely went downhill in the last act. Apart from the laughable car pinning scene to ridiculously quick pregnancy. The writing team must hv been under severe pressure to get to the 'Possession' scene! Sorry but again Neil's acting holds no candle to what Sydney did in Immaculate. Then the final reveal of the devils mother completely betrayed the original, where it was a jackel who fathered Damien, not a nun. An all over the place writing and a complete failure in scary scenes let me give it a lower rating to immaculate.

[@jazzercaster4749]

Keen to check this out, I loved the first season of servant. Btw have you guys seen the trailer for a movie called Cuckoo? Looks good.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Absolutely. Looks great. Can’t wait

[@Darius-fn3hw]

So where did that Jackal come from? What is its origin and how did the monestary achieve to capture and contain it?

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

That’ll be in the prequel to the prequel 😉

[@mayamelina6]

Would you say The Omen or Late Night with the Devil was better? Or a better question, which would be better to see in theaters? I saw Immaculate the other day and it was pretty good. Trying to decide which I should see next. I might save one to watch streaming.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Since you already saw immaculate, and the first omen is pretty pretty similar, I would go with late night with the devil. It’s completely different.

[@norwoodsstokes3883]

Heard nuthn but great things about this...i love movies capable of building suspense...that's integral in horror movies...for me

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

It’s great

[@tyleigh4309]

Out of this, Immaculate and Deliver us which would you say is better? They all seem very similar and I have yet to watch deliver us

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

The first omen is probably the best

[@Hobblone-xe3jv]

I totally agree w/ yr reply, & there's more continuity possible w/ girl "Dalilia"😂.

[@Hobblone-xe3jv]

Th elephant in the room is a non-jackal, confimed as mommie-doggie in orig trilogy.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

All that is confirmed is that in her grave is Jackal remains. In this film she survives and they bury the father Jackal in her grave making them think it’s the mom. This is just new info. Not sure why it matters if it was the dad or mom that was the jackal. It’s insane either way and takes nothing away from that scene or lore. He’s still the child of a Jackal. The bones and still his parent’s. They just have made the wrong assumption like we all would. If anything this just adds to it cause we know the mom actually lived now and kept his twin. That’s cool

[@arlyandjay]

I’m a huge omen fan and while I liked this one idk just didn’t have the same vibe enough for me. I do wish it hadn’t shown the original omen pictures etc at the end because it didn’t line up with the Jackal thing. I know stupid thing to be hung up on but if it’s gonna be the prequel to the original original then they got the jackal backwards but obviously we wouldn’t have the movie if they hadn’t had the father be the jackal instead of the mother. Idk. Was beautifully shot though and I liked it otherwise. Would like to see more

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

The jackal thing to me is an easy explanation. They just buried the father and the mother’s grave. Simple. We see she survived and so they faked her grave. No issues here

[@GoalieOfUnholy]

As far as continuity goes, didn't all the original Omen films say that Damien's mother was the Jackal? Not his father?

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

My memory was he was born of a jackal and they found the skeleton in the grave which they clearly buried from the fire

[@GoalieOfUnholy]

I just re-watched all 5, and they specifically say Satan is his father and a female jackal is his mother. In the original, the alias of the female jackal is Maria Scianna. In the remake, it's Maria Avedici Santoya.

[@halo2something]

glad you liked it!

[@SUBWAYSWITCH]

I always thought his mother was a jackal . is that not right ?

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Not his mother…

[@SUBWAYSWITCH]

OH NO Sinister, what did they do ?@@sinistercinemareviews5420

[@Riky_Jones]

Let’s see how it goes

[@amybrown9539]

Ha, local theater is playing all 3 demon movies, First Omen, Immaculate and Late Night. Now I need to decide if I want to stay all day there

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

They are all great

[@melindachase5046]

Just got back from seeing it. I thought it was veeeery creepy and enjoyed it for what it was. Solid B for me personally. I loved Immaculate far more though. This had blatant tones of Dario Argento, especially Suspiria- I thought, in areas with the sound design

[@pindy123]

Yes! Also the way some of the shots were done of the outside of buildings with the cameras swooping in were v Argento I thought. Also huge nods to Possession in that scene after the car crash. Also felt like it was taking a bit from Martyrs with the eyeball close ups. Anyway. As they say - if you’re going to steal, steal from the best!

[@Eric.Northman]

I feel so stupid. It didn't even register that this was connected to the omen franchise 😂🤦‍♂️

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Haha

[@DrumdumsMovieReviews]

Kali is dead on.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

I definitely like it the more I think about it

[@jackriley7772]

It sounds Great Thriller &, I like OMEN SERIES, BACK IN THE 70,S ❤ IT (: Keep care

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Thanks. You too

[@AshePBlack]

I think it was a good prequel, its pre damien they dont need use format of damien trilogy which is basically all characters outside damiens fam who oposehim die. And at least characters i like survive this one

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Prequels are damn good lately

[@dominichowell6896]

I liked it, but... it was so Giallo, i couldn't help but think; if i were to dump my dvd collection onto someone...

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Huh?

[@dominichowell6896]

@sinistercinemareviews5420 sorry, what I meant was, it borrowed heavily from some old favorites

[@Brandon-el4bz]

Just say the OG Omen haha

[@Lifesizemortal]

But this was a cash grab. You didnt see how they totally ripped off scenes from the original without changing much at all??

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

We enjoyed it.

[@khav11]

i keep proving my point yet another religious horror, i actually like this kind of stuff, but what happened to fun movies with a bunch of youngters going in a dangerous place like devil's pass, ruins,shrine, chernobyl diairies etc, those movies are favored among the horror community jayson.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Horror and film in general has always been about trends. What is popular gets made until it isn’t. Hence superhero films for the last 15 years. But every sub genre gets made every year, just not as many.

[@UserABP]

Could you please use less background music or tune it down? It’s tad too loud.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Good feedback

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

I just went and listened to it in a couple different ways, and if anything, I actually think the music is too quiet… haha 🤔

[@dvaoa2910]

Since everyone (not you guys) is rushing out to bestow “greatness” on this film, let me say, this is not a great film. Good, yes. The accents were misplaced in many cases, Father Brendan’s “Beware!!” character was way too formulaic and flat, the sinister factor of the orphanage nuns felt cartoonish, the scene where Margaret’s water breaks was a complete ripoff of the miscarriage scene from the ‘80s trippy film Possession, and the ending twist was completely unnecessary. All that to say, the word great is tossed around way too indiscriminately now for anything that for all intents and purposes just isn’t a stinker. The First Omen was not a waste of time, but Late Night with the Devil was a much more enjoyable ride, and as far as mounting dread and creep, check out something that delivers more convincingly, like Caveat (on Shudder).

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

We hated caveat… haha

[@dvaoa2910]

@@sinistercinemareviews5420 ha... interesting! With The First Omen, I wish I'd avoided all the pre-hype...

[@rjl310]

As a stand-alone Antichrist horror film, it’s a decent creepy, dumb horror flick. As a prequel to The Omen, it’s an abject failure. It contradicts several elements and significant plot points of the original. Even worse, the theology is nonsensical and flat out stupid. The makers couldn’t be bothered to crack a Bible and actually learn about Christianity.

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

I can’t say I care about how accurate something is to Christianity. But if that brought it down for you that’s a bummer. Sorry you didn’t like it as much

[@rjl310]

@@sinistercinemareviews5420 Well, to be fair, all one needs know is that the Antichrist will usher in hell on earth. Therefore, the plan in the film makes no sense: People are leaving the church and the church believes that they are the only ones capable of defending humanity from Satan, the enemy of God (and therefore the church). They then decide to help bring about the Antichrist (their enemy) in order to drive people back to the church. It’s akin to the Rebels in Star Wars deciding to help the Empire complete the Death Star, because once the Death Star begins wiping out anyone apposed to the Empire - it’ll push people into joining the Rebellion. It’s ridiculous. In the original Omen, it’s a satanic cabal within (and without) of the church. True believers. This “prequel “ just doesn’t make sense.