‘The First Omen’ Blu-Ray Review – An Effective Expansion Of The Long-Running Horror Series

In this psychological horror prequel to the classic Omen films, a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church. Soon, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith, and that reveals a terrifying conspiracy to bring about the birth of evil incarnate. The First Omen stars Nell Tiger Free (Servant), Tawfeek Barhom (Mary Magdalene), Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ralph Ineson (The Northman) and Bill Nighy (Living). The film is directed by Arkasha Stevenson based on characters created by David Seltzer (The Omen), with a story by Ben Jacoby (Bleed) and a screenplay by Tim Smith & Arkasha Stevenson and Keith Thomas (Firestarter).

For in-depth thoughts on The First Omen, please see my colleague Lane Mills’s review from its original theatrical release here. 

Video Quality

The film debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of 20th Century Studios with a stellar 1080p presentation in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio that presents the film exactly as necessary. The movie itself has a reserved color palette with numerous scenes bathed in darkness which this transfer handles with a steady hand. For a movie that relies on darkness to conjure dread, it is important to have deep black levels, which this transfer executes consistently. 

Objects hold up prominently in the shadows and retain their depth. There is no damage, black crush or digital noise on display in this transfer. There is also a favorable amount of detail and clarity throughout the presentation. The discrete detail that is present on faces and within some of the makeup work is a standout quality. Tracking shots remain stable and avoid most instances of blurring or banding. This is a formidable transfer from 20th Century Studios that allows this new feature to thrive at a high bit rate and deliver an ideal viewing experience. 

Audio Quality

The First Omen comes to Blu-Ray with an excellent DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track that handles every facet with care. The directionality of this track is perfect with sounds emanating from all of the appropriate spots. The movie is active when the scene calls for it with a range of sonic flourishes as the situation intensifies. Surround channels get some unsettling activity during various scenes where sounds are coming from a mysterious origin. 

The low end of the track gets to come alive in numerous spots. This is a film that is immensely satisfying from a sound design perspective. Dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with an effective score where nothing gets muddled in the mix. This track is quite robust and will be appreciated by horror fans who add this disc to their collection. Optional English SDH and a plethora of additional subtitles are provided.

Special Features

• The Director’s Vision: A nearly five-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the vision of director Arkasha Stevenson, her love of horror films, grounding the movie in characters, telling the story through a female lens, shooting in Rome, and more. 

• The Mystery of Margaret: A nearly six-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss our protagonist, her relationship with other characters in the story, the manipulation she faces, and more. 

• Signs of The First Omen: A nine-minute look at the film and how it connects to the original film, the hidden facets within the Rome setting, the intricate nature of the production design, the costumes, and more. 

Final Thoughts

The First Omen is an effective expansion of the long-running horror franchise that tells a new chapter of the story without tarnishing anything that came before. Nell Tiger Free is incredible in the lead role as she taps into genuine emotion and fearlessness in her performance. The film had the misfortune of debuting in the wake of Immaculate, which wades in similar waters to great effect. We are a fan of both films as they have different strengths and weaknesses. If we were going to revive this property, Arkasha Stevenson was the right person to do it. 20th Century Studios has given this film a Blu-Ray with an impressive A/V presentation and a brief selection of special features. Recommended 

The First Omen is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: 20th Century Studios has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.