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-

Comments

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie (2026)

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie is another cookie-cutter entry in the Paw Patrol franchise, so there isn't much to say about the story itself. This time, the focus is on Marshall, the team's resident firefighter, or perhaps "firedog" in this case. The movie is wholesome and delivers exactly what you'd expect from a Paw Patrol film, even if it doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the previous entries. Mckenna Grace voices Skye, although you would never know it from the performance. Her voice is so normal for the character that Grace's usual presence is virtually unrecognizable. Terry Crews , on the other hand, voices Alistair Stonewall, and you can definitely tell it's him. His recognizable voice and personality come through clearly and make the character more memorable. Snoop Dogg also makes a fun cameo as Dave, the owner of a yacht who enjoys fishing. It's a small role, but his recognizable voice and personality make it a welcome surprise. T...

The End of Oak Street (2026)

The End of Oak Street starts with Anne Hathaway immediately establishing herself as the film's strongest performer, especially when compared to the wooden performance from Ewan McGregor . The premise of a writer struggling with an unsupportive spouse hits close to home for me. The split-focus direction from David Robert Mitchell isn't particularly new or uniquely executed. Instead, it often feels disorienting without accomplishing what I assume was the intention. Mitchell also struggles with the screenplay, as the dialogue can be atrocious at times and boring the rest of the time. This isn't his first failed attempt at writing interesting characters, which makes it understandable why he hasn't written or directed anything in eight years. Anne Hathaway is easily the best part of the film. She brings enough personality and emotional weight to keep the movie watchable despite the material surrounding her. Unfortunately, even Hathaway can't carry the entire film. Ew...

Sleepwalker (2026)

Sleepwalker is a horror thriller written and directed by Brandon Auman , who quickly reminds us why his career has primarily been in television rather than feature films. Writing for children's television can sometimes get away with simplistic dialogue and storytelling, but those weaknesses become glaring when stretched into a feature-length horror movie. The screenplay is filled with clunky dialogue and predictable horror beats, while the jump scares rarely land. Instead of creating tension, the film repeatedly left me sighing in boredom. Hayden Panettiere delivers a strong performance despite the material she's been given. It's clear that many of her lines weren't written with much care, but she does what she can to make the character feel believable. Knowing this is her final film makes the performance bittersweet, especially because she deserved a much better script to go out on. Fortunately, her performance here doesn't diminish the work she's done in bet...

Movies, Film, and Chili

Search This Blog