George Tait

I watched all of the Omen films when I was a youngster. I watched them in the wrong order; the second one first, the third one second and the first one last. So I had to piece the story together in a different way than most viewers who were invested in the franchise. The first two films were absurd but strangely thrilling. The third one was an absolute turkey, more notable for the first sightings of Ruby Wax and Niles Crane from Frasier than the contemptuous content of the film itself. I watched The First Omen, I suppose, for nostalgic reasons. I’m not religious and am not remotely bothered about storytelling alterations. A work of fiction is a work of fiction. It shouldn’t matter if writers and directors mix things up a little. The First Omen is a horror film of sorts. If you’re looking for lots of gore and bloodshed, you probably won’t find enough of either here. But what you will find is an angry film about how women are constantly held back in securing autonomy over their own bodies. The other films in the franchise are principally about the rise and fall of the Antichrist. There is no subtext in any of them. The First Omen is a different ‘beast’ altogether. It’s well directed. Some of the acting is a bit camp( Bill Nighy is magnificently hammy, as ever) but there’s nobody in the film that comes close to reaching the depths of Gregory Peck( surely the worst actor, like, ever). So the film has some substance. It does lose its footing a little in the final few reels and Charles dance might wonder what the point was of him being in the film at all. But it’s definitely worth your time.