Image credit: 20th Century Studios

And you should check it out immediately!

The history of horrors knows a number of franchises that manage to stay afloat for decades, for example, The Exorcist. They can often bring the installments that only defame the honor of the original movies, but there are some exceptions to this rule.

These include one of the most chilling horror series, as its latest movie, surprisingly, received glowing praise from both critics and the audience. Its success is also proved by its strong viewership: it is now holding the third place in Disney+ global chart.

The follow-up’s plot revolves around Margaret, a young American novitiate who is sent to work at a Catholic orphanage in Rome. The more time she spends getting used to her new home, the more darkness she finds in the hearts of the local church ministers.

This flick will be of much interest to those who enjoy conspiracy theories, as here Margaret ends up involved in a cult that hopes to bring about the birth of the Antichrist.

Genre veterans can now guess that we’re talking about the new installment of The Omen franchise that was started by the 1976 hit movie. It followed a couple whose biological child was replaced by a boy who was actually the prophesied Antichrist.

The 2024 movie appears to be the 6th film in the series and a prequel to the first film, and although lots of modern prequels completely miss the mark, this one doesn’t at all.

In fact, it relies on its unsettling atmosphere and perfectly-written script, rather than on excessive jump scares or lazy suspense, as today’s follow-ups often do. Besides, there are some curious callbacks to the genre’s classics, including Possession (1981).

Titled The First Omen, this movie, rated 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, is both a perfect The Omen flick that gives the franchise a bright future and a decent horror itself.

“It exceeded my expectations by QUITE a bit. One of my favorites this year,” says Redditor @ChunLi808 about this nail-biting roller coaster of a movie.

Even if you haven’t seen the original horror, you shouldn’t miss the prequel, as it’s really one of the best films of 2024 so far. Luckily, it’s now available to stream on Disney+.