10 Recent Horror Movies That Were WAY Better Than Expected

There was nothing short of a collective eyeroll when a prequel to Richard Donner's 1976 horror classic The First Omen was first announced. 

Beyond the original film being such a brilliant standalone work, neither the three direct sequels nor the 2006 remake proved particularly worthwhile, and so, why would this apparent exercise in soulless brand reinforcement be any different?

It certainly didn't help that a first-time filmmaker, Arkasha Stevenson, was at the helm, only fuelling the belief that this prequel was being cranked out for a cheap, easy buck. But what a surprise The First Omen was, functioning as both a visceral standalone supernatural horror picture and slotting quite effortlessly into the chronology of The Omen.

Particular credit goes to filmmaker Stevenson, who most observers hugely underestimated here, and lead actress Nell Tiger Free, who gave a stellar performance in the role of novice nun protagonist Margaret.

Did anyone "need" The First Omen? No, but it offered up an uncommonly savage, character-driven take on a wildly tired, played-out genre, while affirming that not all horror prequels are created equal.