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Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Billie Whitelaw, Harvey Stephens ... see more see more... , Leo McKern , Patrick Troughton , Martin Benson , Anthony Nicholls , Holly Palance , John Stride , Robert MacLeod , Yacov Banai , Bruce Boa , Nicholas Campbell , Freda Dowie , Don Fellows , Ronald Leigh-Hunt , Betty McDowall , Sheila Raynor , Robert Rietty , Burnell Tucker , Richard Donner , Miki Iveria , Patrick McAlinney , Nancy Manningham , Roy Boyd , Tommy Duggan , Harvey Stephens (II)

Satan's son has arrived on Earth and He's not about to let human parents get in the way. When his wife Katherine's (Lee Remick) pregnancy ends in a stillbirth in a Rome hospital, U.S. diplomat Robert ... read more read more...Thorn (Gregory Peck) substitutes another baby, whose mother died. Little Damien (Harvey Stephens) thrives, but, at his fifth birthday party, his nanny mysteriously dies; Father Brennan (Patrick G. Troughton) also expires after warning Thorn that he has adopted Lucifer's son. While sinister new nanny Mrs. Baylock (Billie Whitelaw) assiduously protects Damien, Thorn's fears escalate when photographer Jennings (David Warner) shows him pictures from Damien's party with marks suggesting how the nanny and Brennan would die. Thorn seeks out Bugenhagen (Leo McKern), an exorcist who confirms Damien's identity and tells Thorn that the only solution is to kill his adopted son. As the bodies pile up, Thorn tries to do his duty, but trust the law to get in the way of saving the world from future Armageddon. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

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R, 1 hr. 51 min.

Directed by: Richard Donner

Release Date: June 25, 1976

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DVD Release Date: September 4, 2001

Stats: 4,758 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,758)

  • TheDudeLebowski65
    March 2, 2012
    TheDudeLebowski65
    The Omen directed by Richard Donner is a formidable Horror film that features great performances and terrific scares. This is one of the scariest films since 1973's The Exorcist and I also consider it a classic. The cast is a talented bunch of actors including legendary Gregory P... read moreeck. The Omen features some nerve racking creepy scenes and is an effective Horror to scare you. This is one legendary Horror film that no self respecting horror fan should miss. A stellar cast, an awesome script and brilliant directing By Richard Donner make this film a winner and a classic of the horror genre. This is quite the film to watch on a dark, rainy night when you're alone at home. The Omen like The Exorcist still gives the audience genuine chills. This is horror at its finest, horror that is genuine, memorable and brilliantly constructed with atmosphere, and slowly unfolding terror to create a tense atmosphere that will stick with you some time after watching this. The Omen is one of the best examples atmospheric terror that I've seen. The Omen is a solid, thrilling and harrowing horror film that demands your attention. A brilliant film, this is one of the true classics of the horror genre. This also one of the best films that has evil child incorporated in its plot. If you're looking for ultimate terror, then The Omen is a nightmare waiting for you.
  • theunknownhobo
    July 17, 2011
    theunknownhobo
    Gregory Peck is amazing in this movie and even when I see him in something else, my mind always traces back to this classic and quintessential horror movie, when script, acting ability and careful timing made movies great. *sigh* where did those days go?
  • blkbomb
    June 28, 2011
    blkbomb
    Robert: Now, I've heard you. I want you to hear me: I never want to see you again.
    Father Brennan: You'll see me in hell, Mr. Thorn. There, we will share out our sentence.

    "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number o... read moref a man; and his number is 666." Book of Revelation Chapter 13 Verse 18

    The Omen is among my three favorite horror movies of all-time. It features an iconic horror villain, Damien; who is played remarkably well by Harvey Stephens. Damien just happens to be the son of the Devil and when the son of the Devil is around, shit is going to go down. I feel I need to describle my favorite scene in this movie, which is among my favorite scenes of all-time. In the freakiest scene, which is masterfully put together in the movie, we are at Damiens birthday party. He's riding a merry-go-round and we here a woman screaming his name, and every time I watch this movie I think it's his mother who is standing right by the merry-go-round. It is not, it's a ctually his nanny, who is standing outside a window, on the top floor of their house, with a rope around her neck. She screams, " Look at me, Damien! It's all for you." Then she hangs herself. To me, it's one of the best put together scenes in movie history. The film features great performances from Gregory Peck and also Billie Whitelaw. White law plays Damiens nanny. She knows what he is and is there to protect him. The score is brilliant and when the chants are involved with the score it is really creepy. This is a great film and among the top horror films ever.
  • ajv2688
    January 3, 2011
    ajv2688
    A fantastic horror, thriller, adventure movie. It's very scary and has just the right amount of blood and gore. I love this movie. Don't see the remake, see this one, the original!
  • DrBenway
    October 13, 2010
    DrBenway
    The Omen manages to keep it's head firmly above water to remain at the top of the horror genre with a scary tale and an impending sense of doom from the get-go. It helps that the movie has a simple, effective central premise. This is a well crafted, big budget, horror film for... read more adults. From the isolated feel of the Thorn residence to Jerry Goldsmith's memorable score, there is always the sense that this is a movie in which the filmmakers wanted to get it right. Despite the violent deaths, (beheading, hanging, fork stabbing, and dog biting) this is not an exploitation film, but an excellent, gothic, dark tale of pure horror.

    Gregory Peck does well as the Ambassador whose prayers are both answered and pissed on the night that his wife, Lee Remick, goes into labor. The real standouts here, in my opinion, are David Warner as the photographer, Billie Whitelaw as the evil Mrs. Baylock and Patrick Troughton as Father Brennan. Troughton brings a sense of pain and regret with cold skin and fearful eyes to the role and steals the show from Atticus Finch. Little Harvey Stephens has the perfect look for the role of young Damien. I mean that little guy is creepy (growing up, I'd often imagine the kid grew up to be Angus Young from AC/DC). Richard Donner doesn't rely on having the kid look menacing or even scowling, but just as an innocent child who doesn't realize his destiny...yet.

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  • mumby1988
    September 3, 2010
    mumby1988
    The Omen follows in a long line of films from the 1960s and 1970s which focus on the fear of children with a basis in the supernatural. The extent and role of the supernatural varies, as does our knowledge of its influence. For instance, in Rosemary?s Baby the devil is clearly in... read morevolved from an early stage, while in Don?t Look Now, we do not know how much the spirit world is in control.

    Much like Village of the Damned, Rosemary?s Baby and The Exorcist, The Omen is upfront in its treatment of the Devil and it makes no bones about the level of dramatic irony involved on the part of the audience. But no amount of unveiling or explanation can prevent it from being one of the creepiest and scariest films of the 1970s. Its simple but effective premise is explored in chilling detail thanks to a series of convincing performances, a brilliant score and solid direction.

    When lecturing about suspense, Alfred Hitchcock would often cite Sabotage as an example of how such a device can be misused. Sabotage features a sequence of a small boy carrying a parcel which turns out to be a bomb; after building it up and up, the bomb blows up on a bus, killing the boy and many others. Hitchcock subsequently realised that he had put his audience through the mill and not rewarded them, and that if suspense of that kind is to work, there has to be some form of resolution to prevent an audience from being alienated.

    It is ironic that in the year that Hitchcock made his last film that a work should come along which completely breaks one of his golden rules. When it comes down to it, The Omen is just that: a evil portent or harbinger of a greater evil to come. Unlike in End of Days, there is no big special-effects ending in which the apocalypse arrives (or in the case of Omen III, Christ returns). The film builds up tension and fear to an unbearable level and then bravely refuses to mitigate it with any kind of reassurance.

    Because of this, The Omen raises deep questions about predeterminism. The unstoppable nature of Damien, and the ruthlessness with which the forces of good are dispatched, seems to paint us mortals as nothing but pawns in a spiritual war between God and Satan. We have no real influence or control over the events which transpire, and faith becomes little more than a crutch of fear, a desperate hope that we are not destined to be cannon fodder in a war for human souls. The photographs which foretell the gruesome deaths cannot be changed; the camera doesn?t lie, and the future is fixed.

    In line with this fatalistic message, the characters in The Omen have clear, pre-ordained motivations. Both of Damien?s nannies turn out to be Satan worshippers ? we don?t get an upfront revelation like in Rosemary?s Baby, but their creepy characterisation and Jerry Goldsmith?s nerve-shredding score have essentially the same effect. Though it may appear that Robert Thorn?s decision to kill his son is one of free will, it could equally be another element of Damien?s plan; there is no point being born into a wealthy, powerful family if you have no means of inheriting said wealth or power. Thorn is like a modern-day Thomas, believing in the truth only when he has seen the devastation Damien has wrought.

    The Omen raises a troubling supplementary question: if everything about this war is predetermined, what is the role of the church? Are the priests genuinely working for good, or are they somehow complicit? On the one hand, it is a priest who first suggests that Robert Thorn adopt; on the other hand, we have Father Brennan, who is desperately seeking forgiveness for his part in Damien?s conspiracy. Brennan is a classic Cassandra character, whose incoherent babblings from the book of Revelation contain clear and accurate warnings of what will come. But of course, his warnings are not heeded and thing play out as the Devil intends.

    But it is not theology which makes The Omen so scary. This lies in the full-on nature of the deaths achieved by brilliant camerawork and special effects. By having the omens appear only as black lines on photographs, the film pulls a clever trick: we know who will die, but we are never exactly sure how. Hence when the nanny hangs herself or the priest gets impaled with a flagpole, it?s a real shock.

    The death of David Warner?s character is a perfect example of this. We first realise that he is destined to die when we see a photograph of him with a black line through his neck. We then follow his every movement closely, looking out for any object that could possibly achieve that effect. After Leo McKern fills us with some form of hope, we stop worrying about him and start to relax. But jut at that moment, Warner?s head is cut clean off by a sheet of glass. We sit there open-mouthed, wondering how they did it and recovering from the fright of our life.

    The Omen has a brilliantly creepy atmosphere, making you feel constantly surrounded by the very essence of evil. Richard Donner draws on the rich traditions of Gothic horror and the more serious end of Hammer (like Village of the Damned), using architecture and pace to create deep-seated unease. The Thorns? home in England is full of high staircases, dark passageways and open rooms with large windows. The churches are forbidding fortresses, and the weather is wild and unpredictable.

    The Omen is also a demonstration of how effective horror can be achieved through a simple choice of editing and camera angles, something which has often been neglected at the gorier end of the spectrum. Take the use of close-ups at the hospital, as the camera cuts back and forth between Kathy Thorn and Mrs. Baylock. It?s a simple device which easily creates tension and prevents the score from descending into melodrama. Brennan?s death is another example of effective editing: the camera cuts back and forth between the falling pole and his scream, before cutting to the wide shot of the pole passing straight through him.

    The one weak spot in The Omen comes in the lengthy exposition as David Warner and an on-form Gregory Peck attempt to decode the warnings in Revelation and apply them to the present day. Their initial encounter in Brennan?s house is well-played, but when they start talking about the ?eternal sea? and the common market, it starts to get a bit silly. It?s nowhere near as po-faced or ridiculous as the ?1999? twist in End of Days, but it treads so uncomfortably close to this that the whole project threatens to be derailed.

    Despite this niggle, The Omen remains a classic horror film, every bit as terrifying after nearly thirty-five years. Neither the inferior sequels nor the pointless shot-for-shot remake have taken the edge off either its premise or its place in horror history. For Peck fans, it?s a rewarding autumnal performance which is more satisfying than his role in The Boys from Brazil. For Donner fans, it?s a compelling calling card and evidence of his strengths as a director. And for everyone else, it?s a well-constructed, deeply creepy chiller, which still has the power and the potency to scare one half to death.
  • 3niR
    May 16, 2010
    3niR
    Good horror movie. Felt sorry for the parents.
  • matertenebraum
    November 28, 2009
    matertenebraum
    Robert Thorn the American ambassador to Great Britain watches his wife's pregnancy when a priest tells him that his newborn has died, but he convinces him to substitute the baby (the wife not knowing) with another child that lost its mother in labour at the same time. Watching th... read moreeir young child growing up, he starts show unnerving signs, which the parents slowly start picking up on and also bizarre tragedies start occurring. This leads Robert on a whirlwind investigation that all points to his son being the Anti-Christ.

    Right off the heals of 'The Exorcist' successful stint with moviegoers comes another one of those endless 70s religious themed horror flicks involving Satanism. 'The Omen', I'd definitely say is one of the better horror films in the shadow of "The Exorcist', but I'll even go to say its an vast improvement over it's influencer. That might be a surprise for some, but I found this film superior as it was more entertaining, fascinating and truly creepy in its context and shocks. Everything about it has a knack for falling into place. From the impending doom that's achieved by its coldly layered atmosphere to a premise that teases the viewer on how it's all going to play out. I won't deny that it seems silly enough when you pay close attention to it all, but with such conviction in the performances and that off confident direction, these factors makes sure that it doesn't slip overboard into cheesy daftness. Another stroke of brilliance would be Jerry Goldsmith's memorably, nerve-wrecking score with those explosive chants scattered throughout.

    On a grand scale the film was efficiently catered with well established cinematography and polished set-pieces that had penetrating might, which director Richard Donner handled with precise skill. Even when there wasn't much happening he knew how to keep things compellingly tight with good pacing and impressible imagery. Though, when it came to the essential thrills, he caps off some remotely tense (dogs' attack) and macabre moments (infamous decapitation) that display bite and flair. The climax is great and the ending is a fitting imprint too. The plot is filled with shocking revelations, interesting characters and it emits a glorious amount of excitement and dread from it mysterious outset.

    The performances are that of top quality by a stellar cast. Gregory Peck and Lee Remick are convincingly excellent as Mr and Mrs Thorn. David Warner turns in a marvellous performance as the photographer Keith Jennings. Then Billie Whitelaw is genuinely creepy as Damien's nanny Mrs. Baylock. Patrick Troughton is superb as the withering Father Brennan. But my applause goes to Harvey Stephens' who's the epitome of evil? well; he definitely looked the part and had a memorizing awe as Damien. Although, Peck deserves more credit really, as he brought such devotion to his character that we honestly feel the pain and confusion that hits home.

    One of the true benchmarks of horror, along the same lines of 'The Exorcist', but for me it beats that film all ends up. Expect a devilishly good time!
  • CloudStrife84
    October 25, 2009
    CloudStrife84
    Creepy classic, that after more than 30 years since its making, still stands strong next to its contemporary counterparts. The directing is superb and the story very captivating. Not to say spooky and quite graphic. Much like The Exorcist (which is sort of like a sister fi... read morelm to this one, as they're quite similiar to eachother both tone- and storywise), it has some scenes that are pretty disturbing. So if you have weak nerves or get easily upset, you may want to think twice about seeing it. For those of us that can handle it though, this is an enjoyable experience from beginning to end. Not to be missed if you're a horror fan!
  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    Classic horror. On par with the Exorcist in my opinion, it?s scary stuff! Well acted and brilliantly directed, it?s no wonder so many films rip it off!

View All The Omen Reviews

Critic Reviews

Richard Eder
May 9, 2005
Richard Eder, New York Times

A member of the Exorcist family, it is a dreadfully silly film, which is not to say that it is totally bad. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

As long as movies like The Omen are merely scaring us, they're fun in a portentous sort of way. Full Review

Charles Cassady
December 15, 2010
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

Gory original Satanism saga; popular but plodding. Full Review

David Nusair
October 31, 2008
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...fares a whole lot better than its 2006 remake... Full Review

Steve Biodrowski
July 4, 2008
Steve Biodrowski, ESplatter

... a slick, polished, and professional thriller that combines an intriguing mystery with periodic eruptions of bloody violence ... Full Review

Lucius Gore
June 20, 2008
Lucius Gore, ESplatter

Goldsmith's score took the film to a level horror films generally never attained in the 1970s. Full Review

Michael Dequina
October 14, 2007
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com

The fairly sedate pace and tone may be a bit dry for today's viewer, but by the film's disturbing climax and simple, superbly creepy final image, one appreciates how well it helped build the suspense. Full Review

Eric Henderson
June 21, 2006
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine

A bald-faced lamprey hitching its razor-tipped maw on the chassis of The Exorcist, The Omen's Sunday school parable of gothic Cathsploitation comes twice as thick and thrice as pious. Full Review

Staci Layne Wilson
June 14, 2006
Staci Layne Wilson, About.com

Damien looks like a mini Angus Young -- gotta love it! Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 5, 2006
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Influenced by the success of The Exorcist, this film takes the horror genre one step further and instead of a girl being possessed by the Devil, we have a boy who's the Antichrist. Full Review

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  • A warden for the zoo that was used in this film was attacked and killed by a tiger the day after the crew left. What film is this?  Answer »
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