In the history of the horror genre, few franchises have cast as long a shadow as The Omen. Released in 1976 from what was then 20th Century Fox and directed by Richard Donner, this was a high-class feature from a big-time studio. With Oscar-winner Gregory Peck in the lead role and featuring Lee Remick as his wife and Billie Whitelaw in a chilling supporting role, no one was playing around in David Seltzer’s screenplay that tapped into the fears of the day, i.e., The Devil, religion run amok, the Antichrist, and how political the church had become. The original film struck a nerve with audiences, not only scaring the hell out of them (rightfully so, the movie holds up spectacularly well) but compelling them to come back again and again, making the film the sixth highest-grossing movie of the year.

For all its initial success, however, The Omen franchise has faced a daunting challenge: maintaining its reign of terror without succumbing to the pitfalls of sequel fatigue. Not that the efforts were that valiant. Damian – Omen II, released in 1978, is almost laughably bad when viewed now, while 1981’s The Final Conflict was so misguided that it forgot to identify itself as part of the family at all, only adding The Omen III in front of its title when released on home video. A fourth outing (Omen IV: The Awakening) was aired on Fox in 1991 as a made-for-TV movie featuring a female bearing the devil’s mark. I didn’t mind the 2006 remake starring Julia Stiles and Liev Schreiber, but what’s the point if you don’t improve upon the original?

Enter The First Omen, the sixth installment in the franchise and a bold attempt to reinvigorate the series for a new generation. Carrying an ominous weight (and this being the sixth entry, one can’t help but wonder, is that number a harbinger of dread?) into its opening weekend based on slick marketing and an early trailer expertly assembled in reverse, there’s a sense of anticipation along with a burden of expectation from a prickly fanbase who have been disappointed in the lackluster follow-ups.

In a market where prequels, requels, reboots, and remakes have become familiar, cheap, and little more than carbon copies of better pictures, 20th Century Studios and director Arkasha Stevenson defied fan apprehension. Building on the groundbreaking terror unleashed in the original film almost fifty years ago, The First Omen is a terrifying prequel that breathes new life into an iconic horror franchise. Aided by a significant budget, an unforgettable lead performance, and visuals you won’t be able to shake for days (and nights) after, it’s sure to wind up as one of the most frightening films of the decade.

Young novitiate Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free, Settlers) has been sent to Rome from America to begin her service to the church. It’s 1971, and the religious world finds itself at a crossroads, witnessing its once powerful influence beginning to wane for the first time. Before taking her final vows, Cardinal Lawrence called Margaret (Bill Nighy, Role Play, the only bit of casting that’s slightly askew) to work with the children at the Vizzardeli Orphanage. Rooming with another novice (Maria Caballero, played with just the right amount of vamp-iness) closer to taking the veil but still yearning to explore Rome’s hypnotizing ’70s nightlife, Margaret might be inexperienced, but growing up an orphan herself, she recognizes the power of taking each opportunity that arises.

A sweaty night on the town at the local disco is our first glimpse of Margaret’s deep personal struggles, suggesting she may have come to Rome trying to escape something wicked. Her behavior and growing attachment to outcast orphan Carlita catches the attention of Sister Silvia (Sônia Braga, Shotgun Wedding) and the other nuns, some of whom have a twisted connection to the mysterious child. Eventually, Margaret realizes that a growing darkness has enveloped the orphanage, consuming anyone and anything that threatens it. A series of gruesome deaths appear to be unrelated, but working with ex-communicated priest Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson, To Catch a Killer) and Father Gabriel (Tawfeek Barhom), a clergy member at the orphanage, Margaret realizes she holds the key to an unholy conspiracy about to be unleashed on the world.

What makes The First Omen exciting and sets it apart from other nun-centric religious terror films as of late is its willingness to delve deep (deep!) into the darker aspects of religious iconography. Throughout film history, depictions of nuns and priests have often been used to provoke a sense of unease in the viewer. Think of films like The Exorcist, The Conjuring its spinoff, The Nun, and the recently released Immaculate. This is to say nothing of the long line of “nunsploitation” flicks from Europe that director Stevenson had to have had at the back of her mind when composing some creepy shots of nuns staring out from cavernous habits.

In The First Omen, these familiar church symbols take on an even more sinister meaning, where the holy collide with the profane, warping the boundary between faith and fanaticism. Part of that is thanks to the stunning costumes throughout by Paco Delgado (John Wick: Chapter 4) and the sumptuous production design by Eve Stewart (Cats). Stevenson’s directorial vision is evident from the start, using a sizable budget (it was made for 30 million but looks twice as expensive), blending sophisticated visuals from cinematographer Aaron Morton (Evil Dead) with an atmosphere of slithering terror. The film’s lavish production design, paired with The Black Phone’s Mark Korven’s disturbing score, creates an immersive experience that transports audiences into the ornate churches of Rome.  Evil lurks around shadowy corners, and every frame is meticulously crafted to evoke a sense of uncomfortable menace.

While the film’s intense visuals (some of which had to be cut down to avoid an NC-17) will linger for days in your head, Free’s fiercely committed performance will stay with you for the foreseeable future. Her portrayal of a woman grappling with her faith and the weight of an incredible burden reminded me of Isabelle Adjani’s unforgettable turn in the 1981 psychological horror masterpiece Possession. Maybe that’s because there’s a scene in both films where the lead actress suffers a breakdown that’s so harrowing to witness that it feels like we’ve unjustly invaded someone’s privacy.  Free’s handling of this scene (its raw bravura should keep her phone ringing off the hook by casting agents) and how she can convey a range of emotions from vulnerability to steely determination is evidence of her innate skill and sets the tone for the film’s emotional depth.

Prequels to horror franchises have become a curious trend in recent years, offering experienced and new filmmakers the chance to explore the backstories of characters beloved or feared for ages.  During The First Omen, I often had to remind myself what this movie connected to. I wondered why it even had to be related to the 1976 film. It’s good enough to be a standalone film, and its only true weakness is that it must shoehorn its finale to fit squarely in with what happens next.

More than anything, The First Omen proves the lasting power of big-budget horror cinema, which went out of fashion right around the time the first film came out. Studios found they could make massive amounts of money while spending little, even being willing to diminish the quality. This new film exemplifies how to take your time and do it right because The Omen franchise has been woken from its slumber with a chilling prequel that honors its roots while forging a superbly scary new path.