The First Omen (2024)

The First Omen is about an American woman who is sent to Rome to start her new life of service to the church and uncovers an evil conspiracy. It's also a prequel to The Omen from 1976.

There are a lot of comparisons between this movie and Immaculate which is another weird situation where two studios have the same idea and release movies around the same time. This has happened so many times in Hollywood. The film has a lot of political messages that are not subtle at all. Directed by Arkasha Stevenson, the film comes off the director's success with Channel Zero which I enjoyed. The problem is that the film would have been better as a TV show.

Nell Tiger Free is a pretty actress but doesn't add a lot of depth to the role she played. Not that there was much to her in Stevenson's writing. You might remember her from Game of Thrones as Myrcella Baratheon. I'm sure she'll grow into her acting abilities once she gets a better coach.

Another actor that doesn't get enough roles is Ralph Ineson who was the father in 2015's The Witch. He has a deep and serious tone to himself that he leans into but was mostly underutilized and with the expensive card of hiring Charles Dance I imagine they could have used both of them better.

The film has a bit of flaws, most notably not being scary. Result: C-

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Psycho Killer (2026)

Psycho Killer (2026) is a religious-tinged detective thriller that leans far more into procedural tension than outright horror. Directed by Gavin Polone , who is better known as a producer than a filmmaker, the movie benefits heavily from its screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker , the writer behind Se7en . His fingerprints are all over this. The writing is sharp, layered with foreshadowing that only fully clicks at the end, and structured in a way that constantly feels like it is building toward something inevitable. The gorgeous Georgina Campbell plays the detective tracking down the titular killer, and she carries the film with confidence. You'll remember her from Barbarian and recently Cold Storage. The script gives her plenty of emotional range to explore, from controlled professionalism to visible cracks under pressure. She handles the lore-heavy exposition well and grounds what could have been overwhelming backstory. It is another strong showing for her and proof she c...

Cold Storage (2026)

Cold Storage (2026) is a sci fi horror thriller that surprised me in a good way. The writing is solid enough that it actually calmed some of my worries about Disclosure Day coming later this year since the same writer is involved. The story holds together and stays engaging, even when the visuals do not. The CG is laughably bad at times, but the acting/chemistry keeps the movie watchable. Jonny Campbell directs, with the screenplay by David Koepp , known for Jurassic Park and Spider-Man . His writing here is tighter than expected, which is why it gives me more confidence about Disclosure Day. The direction is straightforward and lets the script do most of the work, even if the effects budget clearly limits what can be shown on screen. He needs a redemption after Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Joe Keery , known for Stranger Things and Free Guy , is the main reason I showed up. He proves he can handle a leading role after Stranger Things and carries the film with a relax...

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