The Omen (2006) Review

Article by SisterRoboto of lefthandhorror.com

Directed by: John Moore

Written by: Dan McDermott

Starring: Julia Stiles, Liev Schreiber, and Mia Farrow

A child that will steer humankind down the road to hellfire has been born, and as his evil flourishes in a world full of hate, the ominous Biblical prophecies slowly begin falling into place in director John Moore’s remake of Richard Donner’s 1976 horror classic. Robert (Liev Schreiber) and Katherine Thorn (Julia Stiles) were as loving parents as any young boy could ask for, but as fate would have it, their new son Damien is far from the typical child. – Written by Jason Buchanan

666… According to the bible, that is the number of the Antichrist. Some think that this number represents a date, such as June 6^th, 2006. In the 2006 remake of The Omen, the number 666 is a birthmark upon the body of young Damien Thorn, who is not really the child of UN Ambassador Robert and Kate Thorn, but is in fact the spawn of Satan and is the coming Antichrist!  Sure, Liev Shreiber isn’t exactly Gregory Peck, but he plays his part well enough in this horror film. I do not think it’s an easy task for any director, no matter how good they might be, to remake a classic, especially one about the devil, but this new version of The Omen is a very acceptable do-over in my opinion. I think if you’re a fan of the first, you’ll also enjoy this version!

If you’ve seen the original than the outcome will be no surprise to you.  The Omen 2006 sticks pretty closely to the plot of the original, with the changes limited to modifying a few of the old movie’s bigger scenes with modern adjustments to location. If you haven’t seen the original, then here’s a quick recap: A boy is born on 6/6/06 and he’s the son of the devil/antichrist. His adopted mother (Julia Stiles) doesn’t know he’s pure evil, but she starts to wonder when the five year old boy starts inspiring people to commit suicide in his honor. I think an interesting theme about The Omen is how neutral Damien seems throughout the film. In the original he very rarely overtly acts out, and it’s not entirely certain until the end that he really is the spawn of Satan. In the new version, it’s a little more obvious, but the creep factor is definitely still there pushed by questions of is he or isn’t indeed the devil’s hell spawn?  The remake is also a bit higher on the gore factor using more modern day effects.

The part that freaks me out the most about this movie is the crazed devotion Damien’s follower’s display towards him.  Mia Farrow is never creepier as she plays his much-too involved, live-in nanny.  Who better to be in this role than the star of 1968 cult classic, Rosemary’s baby. I will say that the all-star, quality cast worked well in this film. If anything I think the remake does a little better job of spiking up the tension than the first, which at times seems a little dull for a horror flick. The story to me seems like something designated mainly for people eager to buy into all this Christ/anti-Christ conflict, the forces of good vs. evil, who will prevail? I suppose on a spiritual level, the film is completely controversial and some would argue incorrect. On a moral level, the movie ultimately encourages us to realize that life is precious, even the life of an evil person. Even though Damien sets out to destroy the lives around him, Robert remains firm in their love for Damien, as Julia Stiles plays the difficult role of Kate. How can a mother want her own child dead, even if he is the Antichrist?

Overall, this movie was not bad for a remake. Not one of my favorites but if ever there was a more appropriate time to watch the original and the sequel, that time is now being so close to Halloween. Lock the kiddies in their rooms and prepare yourself for the ultimate birth control!