Time: 111 Minutes
Age Rating: R16 – Horror scenes & violence
Cast:
Gregory Peck as Robert Thorn
Lee Remick as Katherine Thorn
David Warner as Keith Jennings
Billie Whitelaw as Mrs. Baylock
Harvey Spencer Stephens as Damien Thorn
Director: Richard Donner

I had first watched the original horror classic The Omen a long time ago. When I heard some good things about the recent prequel titled The First Omen, I thought it was a good time to revisit the 70s original, and I think it still holds up today.

The movie is definitely a slow burn, but I found it to be effective as such. This steady build works well as we witness strange and unsettling events and then learn more about what is really happening. This slow pace also helps to generate this unsettling feeling of dread, it is tense throughout and only builds as the film progresses.

Gregory Peck is great in the lead role, and as usual adds a lot of gravitas. Lee Remrick and David Warner are good, and Billie Whitelaw is particularly unsettling in her screentime. Despite The Omen being about a demon child in Damien, the film doesn’t show him a lot. He’s in the movie throughout, but is sparingly used, which does work to great effect. Harvey Stephens plays Damien, and while he’s not given much screentime or lines, he manages to be effectively creepy and memorable in his scenes.  

Richard Donner’s tight direction is great and stylish. The shots are composed well, and Donner crafts an effective misty and gothic atmosphere. Jerry Goldsmith’s score played a big part in creating this atmosphere. Present throughout, it is haunting and eerie, and some of his best work. The practical effects are really good, and while The Omen isn’t a movie that relies on the kills, those moments are certainly memorable.

The Omen is a classic supernatural horror film, greatly directed with a strong atmosphere and solid performances.