Poster © 20th Century Studios. Shown at reduced size for review and commentary.
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GenreHorror
RatedR
Runtime1 hr 59 mins
ReleasedApril 5, 2024
StreamingSee Where to Watch
DirectorArkasha Stevenson
StarringNell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga
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The First Omen (2024)
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| WWikipedia | LLetterboxd |
| TTMDB | +Add to Top 8 |
| The First Omen's Details | |
| Genre | Horror |
| Rated | R |
| Released | 04/05/2024 |
| Streaming | See Where to Watch on this page. |
| Running Time | 1 hr 59 mins |
| Budget | $30M (reported) |
| Box Office | Updated daily from Box Office Mojo. See the numbers below. |
| Based On | Characters by David Seltzer |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| The First Omen's Interests | |
| General | Candles, convents, Roman streets, 1970s Italy, old photographs, warnings nobody wants to hear. |
| Music | Mark Korven |
| Movies | The Omen (1976). Watch this one first, then the original. |
| Television | Something with puppies. You will have earned it. |
| Heroes | Margaret. New city, new job, and she still asks the right questions. |
| The First Omen's Crew | |
| Director | Arkasha Stevenson |
| Writers | Tim Smith, Arkasha Stevenson, Keith Thomas, Ben Jacoby (story) |
| Producers | David S. Goyer, Keith Levine |
| Cinematography | Aaron Morton |
| Music | Mark Korven |
| Edited By | Bob Murawski, Amy E. Duddleston |
| Production | Phantom Four Films |
| Distributed By | 20th Century Studios |
The First Omen has a strange assignment: explain where one of horror’s most famous babies came from, and does it with more style than anyone asked for. Nell Tiger Free plays Margaret, an American novice who arrives at a Rome orphanage amid street protests, soon to take her vows. She bonds with Carlita, a mistreated orphan plagued by disturbing visions, while Ralph Ineson’s Father Brennan keeps warning her about a conspiracy inside the Church. Director Arkasha Stevenson makes it look gorgeous and unsettling, Free is fierce as the ground gives way under her, and Bill Nighy and Charles Dance lend it serious weight. The trouble is the franchise checklist. Once it starts connecting dots to the original, it loses its nerve, and the conspiracy, explained out loud, is kinda silly. Critics gave it 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, while CinemaScore audiences gave it a C. A 6.2 because the style is bold and the story is boxed in. $83.94 says you call your mom tonight to confirm which hospital you were born in, and she asks why you sound nervous.
What works: Arkasha Stevenson’s direction is bold and eerie, and Nell Tiger Free gives a fearless lead performance with Bill Nighy and Charles Dance in strong support.
What doesn’t: Once the plot bends to fit the original film, the energy fades and the big conspiracy explanation feels silly.
Who it’s for: Horror fans who love slow, atmospheric dread and want to see how the original Omen got its start.
Spoilers
Margaret learns that she, not Carlita, is the woman the conspiracy chose to bear the Antichrist. She escapes with Carlita and her newborn daughter, while her son is handed to an American diplomat named Robert Thorn and grows up as Damien.
Rome, 1971. Margaret (Nell Tiger Free), a young American, arrives to work at an orphanage before taking her vows as a nun. The streets are restless, and Sister Silva (Sônia Braga) runs the orphanage with a firm hand. Margaret bonds with Carlita (Nicole Sorace), a troubled girl the nuns keep punishing. Then Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson), a priest who has been digging into Church secrets, warns her that someone inside the Church is planning something dark. Arkasha Stevenson directs this prequel to The Omen. One hundred nineteen minutes, keep the lights on.
Anyone who ever had a bad feeling about a new job. Trust it.
| Nell Tiger Free | Margaret |
| Ralph Ineson | Father Brennan |
| Sônia Braga | Sister Silva |
| Tawfeek Barhom | Father Gabriel |
| Maria Caballero | Luz |
| Charles Dance | Father Harris |
| Bill Nighy | Cardinal Lawrence |
| Nicole Sorace | Carlita |
| Ishtar Currie-Wilson | Sister Anjelica |
| Andrea Arcangeli | Paolo |
| Anton Alexander | Father Spiletto |
| Rachel Hurd-Wood | Katherine Thorn |
| Eva Ras | an angry nun |
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 20 October 2026 DataBot +520 Numbers refreshed: Worldwide box office $53.8M; Domestic box office $20.1M; Opening weekend $8.4M; Profit / loss (est.) -$18.1M; Rotten Tomatoes 83%; CinemaScore C; box office chart updated; Rotten Tomatoes critics 83% (193 reviews); Metacritic 65 / 100; Rotten Tomatoes audience 69% (500+ verified ratings); CinemaScore C; IMDb users 6.5 / 10 (73,355 votes); movie.guru score 5.1.
- (cur | prev) 12:00, 20 October 2026 DataBot +2,000 Profile created from Wikipedia and Box Office Mojo: cast, crew, release dates, budget, official trailer.