All 7 Entries of The Omen Franchise Ranked

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April 13

Sommerleigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer

This year saw the release of The First Omen, a movie I personally enjoyed from beginning to end. I enjoyed it so much in fact it inspired me to revisit the entire franchise.

So, with a lot of ground to cover, let's not waste any time as we dive into one of the more underrated franchises of the horror genre, The Omen Franchise, and take a look at how the films and television show stack up. And of course, SPOILERS AHEAD.

#7 Omen IV: The Awakening (Made-for-TV Movie, 1991)

666? That's a funny birthmark. Oh well, I'm sure it doesn't mean anything

Released in 1991, Omen IV: The Awakening was thankfully the only one of the bunch that I would rate as bad.

This lazy and uninspired story sees Delia (Asia Viera) as the new focus. A young girl adopted by a congressman and his attorney wife, she turns out to be the daughter of the now deceased Damien Thorn and the future mother/sister of the next antichrist, Alexander.

While it may not be a total loss as a stand-alone story, it fails as a follow-up to The Omen which, like its pseudo cousin The Exorcist, is an early example of "elevated" horror (I'm not the biggest fan of the term either, preferring to think of them as just really great films). In comparison to all the other stories of this franchise, The Awakening is by far the campiest and doesn't have any of the artistic style or dramatic tone of the others. And I'm sure most people have forgotten it even exists.

#6 The Final Conflict aka Omen III (1981)

Hey D-man. Whatcha gonna do with that? You're not gonna shove it up my butt, are you? Please don't shove it up my butt

I saw The Omen as a kid and it scared the daylights out of me, the main reason being the ending which showed a smug little Damien staring into the camera as if to say, "you haven't seen the last of me". The bad guy won, something I don't remember having seen before in a movie, and it would be some time before I would be able to watch it again without feeling utterly shaken to my core.

Thankfully the conclusion came about with 1981's The Final Conflict. It stars a debonair and devilish Sam Neill as the now adult Damien Thorn, a conglomerate CEO who takes up the role of the US Ambassador to the UK after his predecessor's grisly suicide. Damien is now ready to fulfil his destiny by stopping the Second Coming of Christ.

While Neill turns in a memorable performance, the rest of The Final Conflict turns too far away from the nuance and atmosphere that made the earlier films so impactful. Rushed is the word I would use to describe the pacing (which is saying something as the movie is at least two hours long), as the entire film feels like it's hurtling towards its conclusion instead of enjoying the ride. A conclusion, I might add, that's anticlimatic as hell.

#5 The Omen (2006 remake)

Such a lovely family. I hope nothing bad happens to them

Officially the first attempt at remaking the series, 2006's The Omen was never going to match the quality of the original. But to the film's credit its moody atmosphere and solid acting by leads Julia Stiles (Orphan: First Kill) and Liev Schreiber (Scream franchise) shows a genuine amount of respect for the core material. And with a gross of $120 million against a $25 million dollar budget it was anything but a failure.

But, like the 1998 Psycho remake, there was just no way this movie was going to surpass (much less equal) the quality of the original and I can barely remember most of it. Point for trying though.

#4 Damien (Television Series, 2016)

Dang. That dude looks like hell

Ignoring the sequels of the franchise this television series follows a reimagined adult Damien Thorn struggling to come to terms with his future as the antichrist.

Coincidentally 2016 was the same year that brought us The Exorcist television series (see what I meant by pseudo-cousins?) and while The Exorcist series was the stronger of the two, both shows did an admirable job of expanding on their individual mythos. Unfortunately, both shows also got the axe with Damien only having one season, never getting a real chance to shine. A shame really as even with a bumpy start you could tell there was something there. Hopefully it won't be the last time we see a mini-series from the world of The Omen.

#3 Damien: Omen II (1978)

Now give me your biscuits before I eat your soul

Directors Don Taylor and Mike Hodges took over the reins from iconic director Richard Donner to continue the story of Damien's rise to unholy power. While it doesn't have as much bite to it as the first, Damien: Omen II is a solid sequel and delivers a strong showing from Jonathan Scott-Taylor buoyed by the performances of the rest of it's cast.

Scott-Taylor has the hardest task of all here, playing a now a teenaged Damien Thorn who has a happy life alongside his cousin Mark (Lucas Donat) and his affluent aunt and uncle Ann Thorn (Lee Grant) and Richard Thorn (William Holden). Scott-Taylor portrays Damien in a way that makes you equally sympathetic for and wary of him, while the pacing takes its time allowing you to fully invest in his journey as the body count builds around his discovery of who he's meant to be.

Speaking of body count, like the first movie there are more than a few memorable kills here. The elevator scene still managed to shock me during my rewatch as well as the scene of the reporter who falls prey to a semi-truck. Combined with solid visuals, Damien: Omen II successfully pulls off the most important role of a sequel, which is to make you excited for what comes next.

#2 The First Omen (2024)

Come on. That is a serious fire hazard

Surpassing all my expectations, The First Omen took on the daunting task of being a prequel to the iconic 1976 film, answering questions as to how exactly Damien Thorn came to end up in the home of American Ambassador Robert Thorn.
Prequels never have it easy. There's always that sense of predictability because the audience knows what comes next, but The First Omen manages to jump these hurdles by making their own story so riveting, your focus is never on what comes after.

With its haunting score, gorgeous cinematography and the strong performances by lead actress Nell Tiger Free (as well as the rest of the cast) the film creates one of the best horror prequels I've seen in years. One so good in fact, I can't wait to see what comes next.

Recommended reading: The First Omen is a Fantastically Chilling Prequel

#1 The Omen (1974)

Sorry Doctor, but it's time to regenerate

When I think of the original film I think of David Seltzer's evocative screenplay coupled with Donner's immaculate directing and that iconic score (Jerry Goldsmith's "Ave Satani" never fails to make the hairs on my neck stand on end). Goldsmith won the only Oscar of his career for the song, so I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who found it chilling.

Whether or not you found The Omen to be as terrifying as I did, I'm sure you'll agree with me that this movie, The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby, all stand head and shoulders above similarly-themed supernatural films and are just as engaging now as they were back then.
Like many of the films of that time it was initially released to mixed reviews but has gone on to be hailed as one of the greatest the horror genre has to offer. The fact that we just got a new entry (and a good one) means the impact of its story is still resonating with audiences. So here's hoping The Omen franchise keeps delivering more dread, chills and nightmare-inducing soundtracks well into the future.

So, that's my list. Do you agree with this ranking? And you can check more horror movie lists below:

Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I'll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More