Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Omen’ (1976)

Written by Scott Edwards

Doing what is right and doing what you believe is best for somebody else may not always be the best thing. So many friends wind up telling each other lies about what they know or what they do to help keep their friendships intact. Even though you would like these lies to be hidden forever, eventually they do come to the surface and it causes great hurt to the person that has been kept in the dark for so long. Being forthcoming with information, no matter how minuscule it may seem is the best way to keep a relationship strong and even if you know the truth may hurt, it is better that they know now and take the pain when it is happening rather than making them re-live the same pain further down the road.

Robert Thorn has just received word that his first born son has died before being able to see the world. Knowing that this news would destroy his wife Kate, he does not want her to know and is given the option to take another baby boy who lost his mother during childbirth. Thinking that this is the right thing to do, Robert accepts the offer and Kate will never know anything about what has been done. Having the time of his life with his wife and child, Robert gets word that he has been promoted, and he is now the new Ambassador to Great Britain and cannot wait to take them along for the ride.

Young Damien grows up a normal child, but at his fifth birthday party, something strange happens and his nanny hangs herself, saying that it is all for him. Not knowing what this means, or what could have been going through the nanny’s mind when she did it, Robert and Kate find that a new nanny, Mrs. Baylock has come to assume the role that has been suddenly been vacated. Seeing that Damien is relaxed with the older woman, Robert and Kate believe that everything is fine in the house once again, but there is something strange moving through the halls that neither of them are able to put their fingers on. When Robert gets a second visit from Father Brennan, he is told that his son could bring about the end of the world and he must take action before it is too late. Not believing what the crazy priest is telling him, Robert returns home to find out that the message may not be that far off.

Finding out that Kate is pregnant again and does not want to have the child, Robert talks to her doctor and hears that she has doubts about Damien being her son altogether. With the words from the priest continuing to play in his mind, Robert knows that his household is in trouble and finds out that Kate took a massive fall attributed to her son knocking her off of the balcony at home. Getting a strange phone call from a photographer, Robert sees that there is something more sinister going on with the people surrounding Damien. With pictures showing spotty images of how people have died before their time, Robert now knows that Father Brennan was telling the truth and is forced to return to Italy to find out everything he can about Damien and his deceased birth mother. With all of the records from the birth being destroyed in a fire, the same night Damien joined his family, there are more questions than answers coming from the trip, but as Robert and Jennings are able to dig deeper, they are able to find out that the secrets being kept from them have a more devilish meaning.

The Omen series has always fascinated me over the years, mainly because the story revolves around the Antichrist and his arrival on Earth. I have seen plenty of movies that deal with the same thing, but most of them take place in the present and the child’s powers are usually not seen until the final scene. Relating old scriptures to the present has to be one of the best parts of this movie for me, since you know that the Antichrist needs an easy position of power and is able to have one handed to him. As the Devil’s child is born and placed on the planet, it is hard to believe that anyone would not know about it until it is too late. I would think that the child’s age relates to when his powers develop, but you never know since kids around the age of five tend to drive their parent's crazy no matter the situation. Well, time to move on to the next entry in the series and I am looking forward to seeing what older Damien will do to get more power on his quest to take over the world. Stay Scared.

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