Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The First Omen Blu-ray Movie Review

The fleeing nun.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 27, 2024

It's not often an author can be credited with more or less creating an entire subgenre, but that may in fact be exactly what Ira Levin did when he wrote his inimitable classic, Rosemary's Baby. For anyone not acquainted with either Levin's original novel or its celebrated cinematic adaptation by Roman Polanski (let's just forget about the pretty dreadful remake), it's probably best not to proceed with reading this review, as plot points will be overtly discussed, though that said, I frankly can't imagine anyone coming to an Omen film without knowing the underlying conceit of the entire series. With that quasi- spoiler alert in mind, can there really be anyone who, however fond of the various Omen films they may be, can ignore how derivative Omen's basic setup is when compared to the Levin's incredible tour de force? Rather interestingly in that regard is the fact that the original The Omen, while actually decried at the time of its release for those perceived, um, borrowings from the Rosemary's Baby canon, was successful enough to (no Biblical pun intended) beget a franchise, while Rosemary's Baby had to "make do" with that above mentioned travesty of a remake, as well as the probably not much better made for television enterprise Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby.

One of the interesting things about Levin's formulation of the coming of the Antichrist is that he contextualized it within a basic "damsel in distress" narrative wherein Rosemary Woodhouse is initially unaware of exactly what is going on around her, and just how pervasive a conspiracy to utilize her as a "vessel" to incubate that creature actually is. That distinctively increasingly paranoiac point of view is one of the things that really made both the original novel and Polanski's adaptation so viscerally effective, and to cite just one example of how effective the film is, I have seen more than one woman who is watching the film for the first time pretty much freak out toward the end when the "nice doctor" played by none other than Charles Grodin "returns" Rosemary to the nefarious clutches of the evil Dr. Sapirstein, memorably essayed by Ralph Bellamy.

Now, rather commendably the original Omen film didn't rely on the same sort of artifice, and instead a rather convoluted backstory was created to provide a perceived "adoptee" who turned out to be the Antichrist. The First Omen seeks to provide a prequel to the first film, and in so doing, it actually reverts to more of a Rosemary's Baby ambience by once again positing a female, in this case a novitiate named Margaret (Nell Tiger Free), who indeed is initially unaware of a vast (way) "right wing conspiracy" which, yep, involves her being utilized as much the same sort of "vessel" that Rosemary was. (Interestingly, in that regard, the film perhaps gets into what might be called "multi generational" breeding with that big horned creature.)

Are there angsty moments throughout The First Omen? Yes, definitely, but there is so much here that is unabashedly derivative that most viewers are going to see putative "twists" long before they're actually revealed. There's some almost Suspiria-esque material with regard to the cloistered environment of the orphanage and nuns running the place, but the film perhaps unavoidably traffics in all sorts of Levin like tropes, including Margaret being drugged in preparation for her "big date" (I half expected her to say her drink had a "chalky understaste"). The last act gets much more overt with regard to the mating process than Rosemary's Baby ever did, while also trying to recreate the hallucinatory dreamlike state the focal character is in during the process, again very much like what Polanski did in the film, and to much less visceral effect, frankly, than the earlier film mustered.

The film probably does better with its style points than it does with its actual narrative. Arkasha Stevenson and her crew rather smartly use real Roman locations to help bolster the authenticity of the setting, and production design and cinematography are both exceptionally evocative a lot of the time. I've consumed considerable bandwidth in several other reviews mentioning how completely bizarre it was for Elmer Bernstein to receive his sole Academy Award for his supposed "original score" for Thoroughly Modern Millie, after having provided actual "original scores" for probably more deserving efforts like Hawaii and/or To Kill a Mockingbird, and I might make much the same "gobsmacked" argument with regard to Jerry Goldsmith's sole Oscar win for the original The Omen, after having provided so many other celebrated scores through the years (making him one of the most nominated composers in Oscar history). That said, at least Goldsmith's score for the original was more prevalent and visceral than Bernstein's work on the Julie Andrews film, and it still remains kind of humorous that "Ave Satani" (reused in this film) got a Best Song nomination.

The First Omen Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The First Omen is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Studios and Disney / Buena Vista with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. While the IMDb doesn't list a camera as of the writing of this review, some of the supplements on this disc offer fleeting glimpses of Arri cameras, and the IMDb does specify there was a 4K DI. As mentioned above, the film has definite style points, and those are supported very well by this excellent looking transfer, one which offers secure detail levels across a really wide gamut of lighting and grading choices. As can be gleaned courtesy of some of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review, large swaths of the film are bathed in a kind of sickly yellow color, but fine detail on fabrics and facial features is remarkably intact throughout. Outdoor material can pop more "naturally", but the film has some almost subliminal grading that tends to slightly tamp down primaries in particular. That said, the club scene where Margaret is drugged offers some near Bava- esque levels of purples, teals and reds.

The First Omen Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The First Omen features a really nicely immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. As is briefly addressed in the supplemental material, the sound design in the film is quite baroque at times, perhaps to make somewhat ambiguous whether or not Margaret is out of her mind (guess whether or not she is). That means the side and rear channels can emit patently hallucinogenic effects like layered whisperings and the like. The "big date" scene (revealed in a quasi-flashback) also has some impressive surround activity. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional subtitles in several languages are available.

The First Omen Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Director's Vision (HD; 4:31) highlights Arkasha Stevenson.


• The Mystery of Margaret (HD; 5:42) looks at some of the background and context of the character.


• Signs of the First Omen (HD; 8:43) concentrates on production and costume design.

Additionally a digital copy is included and packaging features a slipcover.

The First Omen Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The trajectory of The First Omen is so well worn that the film just can't manage to really surprise, though it does offer definite style and has some unabashedly spooky moments. It seems like this "reboot" was fashioned to set up a whole new sidebar franchise (I'm assuming courtesy of at least one, and possibly two, of the supporting characters surrounding Margaret), but my hunch this film's less than stellar box office probably put the kibosh on those plans. Technical merits are first rate and the three supplements appealing, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.