The Omen (1976) Review

Written by: alex1176   

Horror fans should forget the lame, one-dimensional remake and stick with the effective original instead. This 1976 shockfest successfully interweaves elements from a conspiracy film, a supernatural thriller and oddly enough, a tragic love story. The film works due to the tight direction by Richard Donner, superb acting by Gregory Peck and Lee Remick and the Oscar-winning musical score composed by the late Jerry Goldsmith.

Although "The Omen" takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions (suspense, drama, etc.), the movie is above all scary because it feels so believable. Peck is U.S. diplomat Robert Thorn who lives in England with his wife. They have a baby, but it is unfortunately stillborn. So Robert agrees to adapt a baby boy and starting on his 6th birthday, strange murders begin to manifest around the family. A priest attempts to warn Robert about his son and soon after, a media photographer (played by David Warner) joins him on a quest to discover who the boy really is.

Warner Bros. had this movie for awhile and had considered it a perfect companion piece to their more controversial film "The Exorcist". But "The Omen" is more of a mainstream film; a mystery that becomes more involving as it goes along. It eventually became a 20th Century Fox property and the studio had a big hit with it.    

The movie closes with a disturbing final shot and than a verse from the Book of Revelation. It's enough to make you want to read the Good Book. In fact, Bible sales had rocketed when the movie had initially opened to big business in the summer of '76. "The Omen" is an effective thriller that will give you major goosebumps!