Much like our country’s political tendencies, we’ve been seemingly stuck in a cyclical era of remakes for decades. But every now and again, one of these money-grubbing franchise extensions will hit hard if placed in the correct hands. In this case, TV director Arkasha Stevenson stepped up to the plate to helm her feature horror debut that deals with the Church’s historic attempts to control women’s bodies.

THE FIRST OMEN (2024) is accurately titled since it precedes the story of the devilish Damien’s rise to power, rather exploring the sordid events leading up to his hellish birth. Margaret arrives in Rome from America to pursue nunhood at a Catholic orphanage but unlocks a shocking conspiracy by the radical leaders to to coerce secular citizens back to the church by forcing the birth of the Antichrist.