Scaredy-Cat Review: The Omen

A Chilling Classic That (Mostly) Holds Up Today.

Title: The Omen
Director: Richard Donner
Year of Release: 1976
Scaredy-Cat Level: 👻👻👻
Subgenre: Supernatural Horror / Thriller

Plot Summary (With Minor Spoilers)

American diplomat Robert Thorn makes the ultimate mistake of doing something without his wife Katherine’s permission. And I’m not talking about sneaking off for a few beers with the lads—no, this guy decides to adopt a baby without even telling her! To top it off, he pretends that this child is the one she just gave birth to (their real child was stillborn).

Things seem fine for the first few years, until Damien, their adopted son, turns five. At his fifth birthday party, his nanny decides to spice things up by hanging herself, which definitely puts a damper on the festivities.

Then, a priest named Father Brennan shows up, warning Robert that Damien is destined to kill Katherine’s unborn child. Soon after, Brennan meets a grisly end in a freak, biblical accident, and Katherine suffers a miscarriage after Damien sort-of pushes her off a balcony.

As more people around Damien meet untimely fates, Robert’s investigation uncovers a chilling revelation: his adopted son might just be the Antichrist (dun, dun, dun!).

SPOILER ALERT!

The rest of this review contains some details and thoughts that might reveal a bit more about the movie.

The Scaredy-Cat Experience

• Jump Scare Count: None really.

• Tense Moments: I found myself on-edge for large parts of this film. There’s tension running through nearly every scene, especially in the final ten to fifteen minutes, where stress levels really ramp up. Also, pretty much any scene involving Mrs. Baylock, Damien’s new devil-worshipping nanny, is somewhat unnerving.

• Spooky Atmosphere: The churches, the monastery, the graveyard, and the deranged priest’s old bedroom (wtf!) all contribute to a very spooky atmosphere. Oh, and the music? It kind of made me feel like the Antichrist might show up in my house and orchestrate my elaborate death.

The Funny Bits

Okay, okay – I know the film is almost fifty years old, but some of the action scenes have certainly seen better days:

• The priest screaming at the falling metal pole instead of getting out of the way. Move, man, move!

• The wife hanging onto the balcony for dear life. How she managed to grab on after falling head over heels is beyond me. And she seemed to almost float down to the ground.

• The photographer being beheaded is so obviously a mannequin. Surely they could have used a more convincing camera angle?

Scaredy-Cat Verdict

Despite its age, this film is still scary. What I loved is that it doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares. The fear comes from the story, atmosphere, score, and the performance of the excellent cast.

Final Thoughts

A great film with a lot of genuinely disturbing moments. The cast all do a brilliant job, especially Billie Whitelaw as the evil Mrs. Baylock, whom I would never have let babysit my kids.

Bits That Scared Me

• The first nanny's birthday "gift"

• The dog growling

• The baboons at the zoo

• The priest’s warning

• The distorted photographs

• The music!

My (Out-of-Context) Thoughts During the Movie

• “‘Your wife need not know’ — yeah right, wives know everything!”

• “I don't trust this priest.”

• “Every time I hear ‘ambassador’, I think of the old Ferrero Rocher advert.”

• “He’s old enough to be her dad.”

• “Don’t look for him!”

• “Get that thing on a lead!”

• “She could have just gotten him a gift.”

• “Ooh, he waved at the dog!”

• “I don’t trust this priest either.”

• “That new nanny can fuck off.”

• “Imagine if Super-Nanny showed up?”

• “This priest isn’t very tactful.”

• “The weather’s taken a turn for the worse.”

• “Final Destination-style death.”

• “That priest could have dodged that pole.”

• “Those poor goldfish.”

• “This monastery is a cheerful place.”

• “What the hell was in that grave?!”

• “These fucking dogs again.”

• “She’s gotta be dead this time.”

• “Another Final Destination death.”

• “Not the dog again!”

• “Couldn’t he switch a light on in his own house?”

• “I just knew she was a biter!”