The First Omen lands fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating after first reviews
The First Omen has landed a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes in early reviews.
This prequel lays the groundwork for the rise of the antichrist in all of the Omen films by revealing what led to the birth of the Son of Satan, Damien Thorn – who has been played by the likes of Jurassic Park's Sam Neill and Vikings: Valhalla's Bradley James in past films.
In this instalment, Game of Thrones' Nell Tiger Free stars as Margaret – a young woman sent to work in a Roman church before taking her vow of sisterhood.
However, Margaret soon discovers that there is evil afoot, with dark forces gathering in the Holy City to bring about the birth of the antichrist.
The First Omen is off to an impressive start on Rotten Tomatoes, currently sitting at 85% Fresh at the time of writing.
Related: The First Omen's Nell Tiger Free teases "ballsy" scene in horror prequel
Early reviews have pointed out that, while The First Omen does stick within the confines of its notorious horror franchise, there are fresh scares that will keep audiences intrigued.
Below are excerpts from some early reviews:
Total Film
"A fabulously intense, no-holds-barred performance from Free keeps things swinging along in high style."
Deadline
"The Italian setting and an excellent cast make this all worthwhile for fans looking to see how it all began, even if the nun-in-distress sub genre is getting to be fairly predictable."
The Guardian
"It’s far more artful and striking than it has any right to be, thanks in overwhelmingly large part to the TV director Arkasha Stevenson, whose bravado works incredibly well until it really doesn’t…"
Slashfilm
"Bleak, severe, and awesome, The First Omen is the best horror movie of the year so far."
Variety
"[Director Arkasha Stevenson's] consistently unsettling and gleefully sacrilegious offering packs its share of legitimate shocks en route to one glaringly obvious 'surprise'.”
New York Times
"The film revels in mashing up familiar genres: the monster movie, body horror and the Gothic church thriller. But it injects a revitalising juice into the franchise — smartly edited and well paced, with a good cinematic eye."
Screenrant
"The First Omen contains the scary elements from the classics and creative upgrades, resulting in a hit for the horror genre and The Omen franchise."
The First Omen is released in cinemas on Friday (April 5).
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