“Omen, the directorial debut from Congolese rapper Baloji, is not a horror movie in any real sense, though you’d be forgiven for believing otherwise at a glance. It’s got its fair share of signifiers which one might associate with the “folk horror” movement: there are rituals, and talk of curses, and some pretty terrific and flamboyant costumes (there is also, I suppose, the title, which I assure you has nothing to do with Damien Thorn). There is also a palpable sense of dread, as its characters find themselves in over their heads in some truly harrowing situations. But despite a healthy magical realist streak, the stakes here are more emotional than supernatural. This is, at its core, a story about the stress and anguish of trying to navigate the politics of a complicated and at times hostile family. On second thought, maybe it is a horror movie.” – Oscar Goff, Boston Hassle
OMEN premieres Fri, May 31 – Mon, Jun 3.