The Omen
4
(2.8K)
Horror
Thriller
1976
111 min
R
Immediately after their miscarriage, the US diplomat Robert Thorn adopts the newborn Damien without the knowledge of his wife. Yet what he doesn’t know is that their new son is the son of the devil.
Starring:
Horror
Thriller
7.5/10
80%
Also Available On:
Community ReviewsSee all
"The omen is a really good and creepy anti-Christ flick with amazing music! Being as descended as I am this movie still was able to shock me in some scenes! Also I can’t go with talking about the creepy kid..the 70s was really good with creepy kids..and this kid is super creepy. I respect the door opened by this movie. 👍🏻"
"3.5 stars Gregory peck and lee remick lended credibility to this I think. "
L K
Linda Kelly
"3½⭐/5⭐
+ The Omen is a fantastic horror/thriller with strong directing and great performances by Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, and David Warner among others. Donner knew how to direct actors, create a texturally dark environment, and stage violence in a way that is truly horrifying to watch. Though the sound-mix is a bit dated, the way it is used to build tension still works, and it works well with the terrific score by Jerry Goldsmith. Unlike the prequel this movie is a bit more plot-centric, and it also handles that aspect better by providing more simple twists that are just as effective. I got the impression that this movie was a huge influence on movies like Final Destination, only the way the deaths and conflict arise are a little more organic to the plot, and speak to the conflict within the characters. It does have a good balance between horror and entertainment.
- The weakest thing about the movie, and the reason it is both fantastic and a 3½⭐ rating for me is that the actor playing Damien isn't all that good, or rather, Richard Donner wasn't a very good director of children actors. I never had the sense that Damien was an integral part of the movie. His character never moves within the narrative with any actual intention, feeling more incidental as a character. For that reason a clear focal point for an antagonist has to be carried by the crazy nanny, and I even wondered why she was tolerated as much as she was when all she did was interfere with how parents wanted to raise their child. It only makes sense to fuel the plot. This is perhaps where internal conflict would have been much more effective than an outward threat. The movie would have had more character development, and more depth. Either that or hire a better child actor to portray Damien, but that is easier said than done.
Overall: A fantastic horror/thriller lacking a quality main antagonist that could have helped the movie age even better. Stronger on plot, weaker on story."
"A post in honor of the spookiest season: Sometimes, our preconceived notions can prevent us from encountering something we really enjoy. I saw The Exorcist a while back. I liked it well enough, but it felt a little shallow to me, honestly. Later, I randomly decided to give The Omen a try. I knew it was often compared to The Exorcist, but I knew I liked Gregory Peck in absolutely everything, so I gave it a shot. I was shocked, honestly. I love this movie. It's one of my favorite movies. It has such strange, off-putting cinematography, burns so slowly, and its symbolism is so much stronger than I expected. The revelations hit hard, and there is only 1 scene with a poorly aged set. I'm also completely sure that Kubrick saw and probably liked this movie, considering the scene of a small child with a brown bowl-cut riding a tricycle around the big halls of his family mansion."
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