The Omen (1976) rewind review – often copied but never equalled, Donner’s movie is one of the finest horrors ever made

Richard Donner’s The Omen would joyously play with every parent’s worst nightmare: your child’s life versus the lives of others.

Richard Donner’s The Omen would redefine the devil on screen while creating its own religious mythology. Drawing inspiration from Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, The Omen twisted our notions of childhood innocence, as the mark of the devil sat beneath the thick black locks of a five-year-old boy.

However, The Omen’s journey to the screen wasn’t without its challenges, with nearly every major studio turning down what was initially titled ‘Antichrist’. When 20th Century Fox honcho Alan Ladd Jr. saw the David Seltzer script, he enthusiastically collaborated with Seltzer and Donner to flesh it out, suggesting a title change and an alternate final scene. These changes would ultimately ensure that Damien’s first outing would spawn a whole trilogy.

The Omen joyously plays with every parent’s worst nightmare: your child’s life versus the lives of others. Here, Gregory Peck and Lee Remick deliver performances that are both visceral and heartbreaking, and an ensemble including Patrick Troughton, David Warner and Billie Whitelaw only adds to the movie’s ability to terrify and generate emotion at once. Add rumours of a deadly curse during production, and The Omen only strengthened its advertising and box-office pull.

However, in the end, it is the audience’s reaction to the devil in kids’ clothing (the fabulous Harvey Stephens) that makes The Omen a game-changer. Often copied but never equalled, Donner’s movie is one of the finest horrors ever made.