The First Omen (2024) review

Nun-in-training Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) travels to Rome in the early 1970's - with protests underway over workers' rights (a never-ending battle) - in order to work at an orphanage run by Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy) before taking her vows and then goes partying with extroverted roommate Luz (Maria Caballero), comforts tormented teenager Carlita (Nicole Sorace) and learns about a plan by the Catholic Church to create an Antichrist to "scare" people moving away from religion.  If this sounds nearly identical to Immaculate, which also came out this year, you'd be correct, and ironically it has many of the same issues: other than a gruesome pregnancy scene (that almost earned it an NC-17 rating) it's rather tame and frequently silly, and it doesn't do much to disguise its "twist ending" (... the Mark of the Beast!).  As a prequel to 1976's The Omen (with Gregory Peck, whose photo appears) it does attempt to "tie" itself into that narrative as best as it possibly can ... and, considering the times we're living in - with women's ability to "choose" being challenged by fascists - it's no surprise forced pregnancies (after rape) have become a part of the "new horror."