The First Omen is a surprisingly potent prequel to Richard Donner’s original film, with it both faithful and capable of being its own thing..

PLOT: A young novitiate in Rome (Nell Tiger Free) is warned by an ex-communicated priest (Ralph Ineson) that she’s at the center of a sinister conspiracy at her church dedicated to spawning the anti-Christ. 

REVIEW: I’ve always really enjoyed The Omen as a franchise. Even as a kid, I found something about the original trilogy centring around Damien Thorn especially gripping. However, I never had much use for the cheap TV movie sequel (Omen IV: The Awakening) or the scene-for-scene remake, which, despite a game cast, didn’t come close to recapturing the grisly spirit of Richard Donner’s original. 

As such, I figured The First Omen would be just another would-be franchise starter, but I have to give 20th Century Studios and Disney credit – they made one hell of a cool horror flick (pun intended). In some ways, it’s a bit like Wonka (bear with me) in that it’s a prequel that does its own thing without shitting all over the original, with the Donner film and the original movies that follow all existing in the same universe this does. 

Director Arkasha Stevenson (of SyFy’s Channel Zero) will likely come off this as one of the fastest-rising new names in horror. She’s made an Omen film that’s distinctly not what fans feared it might be – watered-down and overly safe. It’s actually quite provocative, with several images, including a gruesome birthing scene, pushing the limits of the R-rating in a way I didn’t expect from a movie bankrolled by Disney.

Without giving too much away, The First Omen basically sets up the events, eventually leading to the birth of Damien Thorn. They do so by telling the story of a young, would-be nun who travels to Rome to work with the seemingly kind priest (Bill Nighy) who helped raise her. Once there, people begin dying in grisly Omen-fashion, with Ralph Ineson’s Father Brennan warning her that a child she’s helping care for, Carlita (Nicole Sorace), is at the center of a vast conspiracy. 

If you remember your Omen films, you’ll know Damien always had many devout followers, and this film does a good job laying the groundwork for a new series of Omen flicks that could, theoretically, exist alongside the original films. It’s helped by the surprisingly gruesome and grim tone that feels right in league with the original films. 

Nell Tiger Free makes for a terrific lead, with her having had years of work on Apple TV +’s Servant to prep her horror bonafides. Her Sister Margaret is a believable lead in the same way that Gregory Peck was in the original, in that both are victims of a vast conspiracy they have no idea how to fight, with the movie having a cool moment towards the end that mirrors a particular scene with Peck in the original that I won’t share. Notably, Margaret isn’t an action heroine; she is believably conflicted and vulnerable throughout. She’s well supported by Ineson, who fills a similar role to what Leo McKern did in the original, with his unhinged stories of a conspiracy in the church being one Margaret doesn’t want to believe but eventually must. Sonia Braga, who I’ll always remember for her henchwoman role in Clint Eastwood’s The Rookie, also has a nifty role as one of the nuns at Nighy’s church who – wouldn’t you know it – might be up to no good.

The film is set in early 1970s Rome. Stevenson takes a different approach than the people in the similarly themed Immaculate in that she doesn’t ape Dario Argento, which is a temptation many horror directors can’t seem to resist. Instead, she makes the film in the vein of Richard Donner’s work on the original, meaning it’s more reality-based and evocative of the era it’s set in. I enjoyed one especially impressive sequence set at an Italian discotheque. Stevenson does a better job making this in the spirit of the original than David Gordon Green did recently when he tried to riff on William Friedkin’s style for his abysmal Exorcist sequel. The score by Mark Korven (The Lighthouse) is also quite good, initially seeming a little too subtle until, as the horror starts to ramp up, it starts playing with the classic Jerry Goldsmith themes in a delicious way.

All in all, I was shocked by how much fun I had with The First Omen. My only complaint is that despite a few shocking bits, too much of the gore had that CGI look, which is a trend I wish horror movies would get away from. Even still, that’s a minor complaint, and I have to say that I’m actually interested in seeing where this new Omen franchise will go. It’s a worthy follow-up to the original trilogy. 

8

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Viewer Ratings (0 reviews)

It’s nice to see so many original stories heading to theatres as of late. And one that is likely on your radar is the thrilling Monkey Man. Not only is Dev Patel taking on an intense leading performance, as well, it is his feature film directorial debut. And let’s just say he has learned a thing or two from the great action flicks we’ve seen over the past few years starting with John Wick. Monkey Man is a lean and mean revenge thriller that is a potent mix of violence and culture. And yes, Mr. Patel does a marvelous job both behind and in front of the camera. The film also features a terrific performance from Sharlto Copley, and if you like action, you are in for a treat.

We recently had the wonderful opportunity to sit down face to face with Dev and talk about his latest. Yet even before the conversation began, he joined a few of us waiting to speak to him just to chat. Mr. Patel couldn’t be any nicer. The man is wonderfully charming, and he took great pleasure in talking about the new film. One of the things we discussed before going on-camera is an excellent training sequence that occurs in the action packed feature. During the interview, Dev discussed that, and taking on such a massive project for his directorial debut. Monkey Man opens this Friday, and action fans are going to have much to get excited for with this one.

The film has the following synopsis: Monkey Man is an action thriller about one man’s quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to victimize the poor and powerless systemically. Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash.After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him. Packed with thrilling and spectacular fight and chase scenes, Monkey Man is directed by Dev Patel from his original story and his screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World).

Delroy Lindo is joining Michael B. Jordan and Jack O’Connell in the cast of Ryan Coogler’s genre project (which may be about vampires)

About two and a half years have gone by since it was announced that Delroy Lindo – whose credits include Get Shorty, Da 5 Bloods, The Core, Malcolm X, and The Harder They Fall (plus more than 65 others) – had signed on to join Mahershala Ali in the cast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe reboot of Blade. While we wait to see if that Lindo will still be in that vampire hunter movie when it finally goes into production (since, after all, Aaron Pierre was also cast in the film at one point, but then written out), The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Lindo has been cast in the mysterious genre project that’s coming our way from frequent collaborators Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan – who have worked on Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever together as director and cast member, and have other collaborations that Coogler didn’t direct. This project is shrouded in secrecy, but is rumored to be a vampire story.

Coogler has written the script for this project, which is being described as both a genre picture and a period piece that Coogler will be directing and Jordan is attached to star in. The project is set up at Warner Bros., is expected to have a budget of around $90 million, and is scheduled for a theatrical release on March 7, 2025.

The folks at World of Reel have shared that this movie is RUMORed to be about vampires battling the Ku Klux Klan! They have heard that “Coogler’s film would be set in the ’30s South, centering on vampires, with dual twin roles for Jordan and that it would be heavy in ‘anime influences.’ The ’30s Jim Crow South setting is not an accident. There’s been word that the plot would center on Vampires going to war against the Ku Klux Klan. That actually makes total sense given the setting of the film which is smack dab in the middle, and during, the height of the Klan.“

Jack O’Connell of Unbroken is in talks to play the villain. There’s said to be “a musical element” to Lindo’s character.

This project being kept so tightly under wraps that when it was looking for a studio to call home, “executives and buyers were forced to make the pilgrimage to the Beverly Hills offices of WME, the agency that represents Coogler and Jordan, in order to take a gander on the script and get details.”

Coogler (who is also developing a reboot of the TV series The X-Files) will be producing the film with Proximity Media partners Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian. Rebecca Cho serves as executive producer alongside Will Greenfield and two-time Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Goransson (who won his first Oscar for his work on Coogler’s Black Panther and his second for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer). Production is set to begin in April.

What do you think of Delroy Lindo being cast in Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s mysterious genre project? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

The First Omen and Moneky Man will likely be no match for week two of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire at the box office.

This weekend sees the release of two smaller scaled, but much anticipated new genre films. There’s Dev Patel’s John Wick-style action flick, Monkey Man, which he also directed, and 20th Century Studios’ prequel to a classic film series, The First Omen. While both movies have been earning solid reviews (check out our First Omen review here), neither seems likely to dislodge Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire from the top spot at the box office.

It’s worth noting that nobody, including us, really expected the massive opening we saw from Godzilla x Kong last weekend. While the Easter Weekend foot traffic no doubt played a large role in its blockbuster business, it should still easily claim first place this weekend with a haul in the $25 million-ish range. The movie seems pretty likely to finish its North American run with somewhere in the neighbourhood of $200 Million, with it not expected to have the legs Dune: Part Two did. However, the two battling titans may surprise us and end the weekend with a gross north of $30 million, although to me, it seems unlikely.

Second place should go to The First Omen, as horror fans haven’t had a major release since the disappointing Imaginary early in March. Recent indie hits, Immaculate and Late Night With the Devil both did well, but played to a more niche audience. I’d expect The First Omen to make about $15 million for second place. Dev Patel’s Monkey Man should earn about $12 million for third place as word of mouth might be mixed, as you never know with arthouse action, and Patel isn’t yet a proven box office draw. 

Meanwhile, holdovers Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Dune: Part Two should round out the top 5. Sadly, it looks like Frozen Empire is in for another major tumble this weekend, with an estimated $7.5 million gross. Dune: Part Two should make about $5 million. It’s possible Dune will actually beat Frozen Empire, which would be a major black eye for the franchise. 

Here are our predictions:

1. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: $25 million
2. The First Omen: $15 million
3. Monkey Man: $12 million
4. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: $7.5 million
5. Dune: Part Two: $5 million

What are you going to see this weekend? Let us know in the comments!

CBS Studios’ Among Us series adds Patton Oswalt, Debra Wilson, Phil LaMarr, and Wayne Knight to round out the cast of suspects.

Seal the vents and watch the monitors because Patton Oswalt (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Ratatouille), Debra Wilson (Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Mickey Mouse Funhouse), Phil LaMarr (Samurai Jack, Futurama), and Wayne Knight (Seinfeld, Jurassic Park) are getting sus for CBS Studios‘ Among Us animated series.

In the adaptation of the wildly popular social deception game, Patton Oswalt is the voice of White, a contest winner who abides by the mantra of no trauma, no drama. Oswalt’s White would instead leave the heavy lifting to others and believes wealth can be a personality trait.

Debra Wilson voices Yellow, also known as Ship Cook #1. Indignant, opinionated, and a relentless prankster, Yellow’s pleasure is making pizza and sharing a slice with their best friend, Brown (LaMarr).

Phil LaMarr voices Brown, also known as Ship Cook #2. Unlike Yellow, Brown is chill, supportive, and accountable. Brown is a pizza enthusiast and a fan of Yellow’s shenanigans.

Wayne Knight voices Lime, the ship’s Engineer. Lime is a doomsday prepper and conspiracy theorist whose tinkering keeps the ship running smoothly – most of the time. Lime is afraid of intimacy and suspicious of everyone and everything.

Previously announced cast members include Randall Park, Elijah Wood, Ashley Johnson, and Yvette Nicole Brown.

Featuring in the adaptation of the wildly popular social deception game is Randall Park as the voice of Red, Captain of the Skeld. Red is a people pleaser and blowhard. As a confident leader, Red is the type of crewmate who will fail upwards.

Ashely Johnson plays Purple, Chief of Security. Concerned with safety, prone to suspicion, and confident, Purple is a crewmember with trust issues.

Yvette Nicole Brown plays Orange and is a member of the HR department. Orange is a “spineless corporate shill” in charge of eliminating redundancies redundantly. Orange will fire you via email before thinking twice about it.

Finally, Elijah Wood plays Green, an unpaid intern. Happy to be aboard, Green does whatever needs doing, with pizza as compensation.

Launched in 2018, Among Us shot to popularity in 2020. Alongside games like Fortnite and Minecraft, Among Us became a gaming sensation for streamers across YouTube (4 billion views) and Twitch (1.2+ billion views). The Among Us video game is primarily a multiplayer experience, though a practice mode where players can check out a solo mystery is available. The best version of Among Us revolves around gathering friends for an elaborate game inspired by the party game Mafia and John Carpenter’s The Thing. Using deduction skills and observing other players is critical to surviving the experience. It also helps if you’re a good liar. Once you become accused of being an imposter, you’ll need to lie your pants off to convince other players of your innocence. The game recently released a new map (The Fungle) and continues to boast millions of players daily.

Owen Dennis executive produces alongside Forest Williard, Marcus Bromander, and Carl Neisser of Innersloth, with Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, and Ben Kalina of Titmouse. Eye Animation Productions is the studio associated with Innersloth.

Are you an Among Us fan? What do you think about turning the game into an animated series? How do you feel about the cast? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.