Feeling in the mood for a trip to the movies? Interested in Horror, Thrillers or Action? Then there are two new films released tomorrow, in cinemas only, perfect for you.
The First Omen, directed by Arkasha Stevenson in her directorial debut, is a horror prequel to The Omen (1976) and the sixth film in The Omen franchise. The story follows a young American woman sent to Rome to work for the church. However, she uncovers a conspiracy to produce the birth of the Antichrist. Many prequel films, especially ones that appear later in a franchise, tend to fly under the radar or get forgotten very quickly. In a change of events, this film has made some headlines for its graphic scenes featuring the female body. Stevenson (the director) wanted to focus her film on female body horror, which includes a graphic birthing scene that almost didn’t make it to the final cut. Speaking to Reuters, Stevenson said of the scene “The shot really encapsulated the themes of the film for us, and we felt that without this image, the film would be a lesser version of itself”.
MORIS PUCCIO/20TH CENTURY STUDIOS
If you’re looking for something with more action than terror, then this next film might interest you.
Monkey Man follows Kid, an anonymous young man who hunts down a group of corrupt leaders that murdered his mother. At the same time, he becomes a liberator for the poor and powerless people that these leaders also bring suffering to. Monkey Man stars Dev Patel, who also makes his directorial debut with this film. It’s a gritty, action-packed thriller with fast paced fight scenes choreographed by Brahim Chab, that hark back to films such as Oldboy and more recently John Wick. According to The Hollywood Reporter, at a post-screening Q&A at SXSW, Dev Patel said he tore his shoulder during a fight sequence and got an eye infection after filming a scene where he crawled on a bathroom floor. So be prepared for some intense fight scenes and intricate cinematography throughout.
The First Omen and Monkey Man are out tomorrow (April 5th) in cinemas.
UNIVERSAL
- Isabelle Stevens @crowscritics