The Omen

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2:16

The Omen

R

1976

1h 51m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

110 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

American diplomat Robert (Gregory Peck) adopts Damien (Harvey Stephens) when his wife, Katherine (Lee Remick), delivers a stillborn child. After Damien's first nanny hangs herself, Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton) warns Robert that Damien will kill Katherine's unborn child. Shortly thereafter, Brennan dies and Katherine miscarries when Damien pushes her off a balcony. As more people around Damien die, Robert investigates Damien's background and realizes his adopted son may be the Antichrist.

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Critics Consensus

The Omen eschews an excess of gore in favor of ramping up the suspense -- and creates an enduring, dread-soaked horror classic along the way.

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Tom Shales

Washington Post

Jun 15, 2026

Thriller audiences may be the most willing suspenders of disbelief, but "The Omen" repeatedly blows the good will with rank implausibilities, farfetched horrors (baboons attack Remick's car at a jungle park) and unintentional jokes.

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Joe Pollack

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Jun 15, 2026

The elements of death are a bit more macabre, a touch more imaginative than in the standard horror film, and Donner's direction, at excellent pace, builds to a nifty twist at the end.

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Helen Frizell

Sydney Morning Herald

Jun 15, 2026

I thought the plot rubbishy, the coincidences impossible, and the suggestion that the father might have to kill Damien for the world's good distasteful.

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John Laycock

Windsor Star

Jun 15, 2026

Donner has been hiding in television, which is too bad; he clearly knows exactly what he is doing in the big screen. His techniques are fancy and effective; better still, he realizes that horror stories are even scarier told in a whisper.

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Victor Stanton

Waterloo Region Record

Jun 15, 2026

To the equal credit of writer Seltzer, director Richard Donner and an excellent cast, the movie succeeds in being something more than a Rosemary's Baby. And it doesn't become mired in a glut of slick sensationalism, as did The Exorcist.

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Ronald E. Butler

Tulsa World

Jun 15, 2026

[Richard Donner] has no sense of humor or irony, which is a pity. He has a propensity for explicit violence, which is inexcusable.

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Alex S

@RT78211997 7 hrs ago

If you are a classic horror fan, and you can appreciate cinema for what it used to be, and original story telling, this is an easy 10 out of 10 - its not even about the perfect castings, just watch the bloody movie and let it speak for itself - i am a believer that the remake (2006) is an even better version, but that does not deflate this absolute masterpiece of a movie, pure class.

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Oaklee D

@ODie63 5 days ago

Still holds up 50 years after release.

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Unique C

@uniquecliches Oct 22, 2026

This movie has well-developed and chilling moments, but it also has some flaws. It sort of moves at two speeds. On the one hand, there’s the fast-paced destruction caused by the antichrist. On the other hand, there’s an artificial slowing down of actions against him. I think the movie ultimately gets betrayed by its need to create sequels and avoid the story progressing to a more natural and climactic ending. Hadn’t been for that, it would have worked out better .

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ChrisCSH H

@RT12343453 Oct 17, 2026

The omen manages to skip the bloody horror that most horror films use ,and instead use suspense and dread. Gregory peck is always great and it’s no exception here.

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Gareth V

@geewah Oct 13, 2026

The Omen is the pulpiest kind of classic, and it knows exactly how to make that work. It’s not subtle and it’s not logical, but it’s tremendous fun and genuinely chilling in places.

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Teddy B

@RT90521672 Oct 12, 2026

For as iconic as it is, and how decently suspenseful it can become, 'The Omen' left a pretty sour taste in my mouth. Killing Damien, the literal spawn of the devil, doesn't seem to become any easier or more pleasant to think about by the end of the movie, making the whole of it rather sad and pointless. The score is iconic, and the direction is assured, if only the script were more refined and the premise slightly altered, or at least made into something that we could have fun with as we suspend our disbelief at this thin plot and repetitive structure.

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Richard Donner

Director

Gregory Peck

Robert Thorn

Lee Remick

Kathy Thorn

David Warner

Keith Jennings

Billie Whitelaw

Mrs. Baylock

Leo McKern

Carl Bugenhagen (uncredited)

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The Omen: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

American diplomat Robert (Gregory Peck) adopts Damien (Harvey Stephens) when his wife, Katherine (Lee Remick), delivers a stillborn child. After Damien's first nanny hangs herself, Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton) warns Robert that Damien will kill Katherine's unborn child. Shortly thereafter, Brennan dies and Katherine miscarries when Damien pushes her off a balcony. As more people around Damien die, Robert investigates Damien's background and realizes his adopted son may be the Antichrist.

Director: Richard Donner
Producer: Harvey Bernhard
Screenwriter: David Seltzer
Distributor: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, CBS/Fox, Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 25, 1976, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2017
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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