Too much of everything

ridiculous rating

Fantastic!

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

In any formula film, the idea is to try to bring something new to the experience of the viewer, as opposed to recycling the same characters and situations. The formula of "Ominous" is the child-possessed-by-the-devil yarn. Unfortunately, there is nothing new or creative in reworking the demonic child motif.The premise of "Ominous" is that a Mephistopheles-like character called The Stranger preys upon parents who have lost a child. The Stranger promises to bring the child back to life in return for a promise to "protect" the youngster. Of course, the grieving parents agree to the bargain. But the replacement child is not the one they lost, but the devil in disguise.The one twist on the story that had potential was the incorporation of the Oedipus legend into the mix. The only way that the antichrist may die is for the father to kill the son. Such is the dilemma of the kind father in "Ominious," who is the first to recognize that the devil was swapped for his real son.Some credit should go to the filmmakers for interesting locations and camera angles. But the film as a whole is made-for-television fare with not much suspense. Somehow, even with the passing of over forty years, it is impossible to improve upon "The Exorcist."

Unexpected coming from the Syfy Channel, but "Ominous" actually manages to be one of the most intense horror films of the year. What could have been another retread of The Omen actually becomes something worth watching, thanks to good direction, a gripping script and solid production values on par with a Blumhouse movie. Things get off to a terrific start with a teaser depicting an untraditional exorcism and then quickly turn tragic with a heartbreaking few scenes where a couple lose their young son. However, apparently not having read any Stephen King books, they proceed to make a deal to get their son back. With the death of not one but two cuddly animals, you know this isn't going to be your ordinary TV movie, and sure enough, it delivers. Once the friendly neighborhood priest catches fire, daddy starts investigating his son's unusual behavior and finds out that someone's pulled a Rosemary's Baby on him. Things get even creepier when the dad realizes he's got to kill his demonic kid and tries to blow him up. The camera work is good and the movie looks suitably creepy. The performances are well above the usual Syfy standards with several standouts including Game of Thrones' Essie Bianco and Mark Chapman as the devil's creepy helper. Some of the cgi shots aren't great but there's a lot of great make up, especially when the kid finally transforms into Satan. This is a stand out film and definitely worth a look.

Now THIS is a horror film! From the creepy atmosphere and tone, to the way the director slowly builds the dread and tension, this is one that belongs in the theater, not TV. Basically the story is about a child who is killed in a car accident, and his parents, who make a deal with the devil to get him back. Except, as a priest later explains, the son they got back is the devil incarnate. And if the demon child is allowed to reach maturity, bad stuff will happen. Of course bad stuff already is happening: dead dogs and birds, people catching on fire, bodies hanging in meat lockers, a playground massacre, melting flesh and crucifixions, etc. so the father (Barry Watson from 7th Heaven) decides something has to be done. Like The Omen, only the child's father can kill the demon child, so he decides to give it a shot. I won't give away how he does it, but it's actually a terrific slow-burn sequence full of suspense and one of my favorites of the movie. The script isn't exactly original but what it has going for it is pacing. There's not a dull point to be had here and the story is constantly moving. Plus the director and the cinematographer really do a good job at making this feel like a theatrical release and not just another movie for Syfy. There's also a lot of action and some unexpectedly well done physical FX, which is a rarity in this day and age. The performances are good too, from Watson to his wife, who I recognized from Game of Thrones, and their creepy son, who reminded me a lot of Pierce Gagnon from Looper. I really liked this one and give it a hearty recommend.

I have to admit I don't normally watch Sci-Fi Channel movies, but my husband insisted we watch this one. I was ready to bolt, but surprisingly... not only did it hold my interest, but I thought it was one of the better horror movies of recent memory. Yes... I'm a horror fan.Much like INSIDIOUS or THE CONJURING, this is a horror story rooted in the relationship of two adults facing a very difficult turning point in their lives. Husband Michael (Barry Watson) has been unfaithful to his devoted wife Rachel (Esme Bianco) and he's started drinking. Then... they lose their son in a car accident. When they get their son back in a miraculous turn of events... each of them have their faith tested in different ways. The marriage they'd struggled to save starts to fracture again and in the middle of it all is a son who may be their sweet little angel... or something far more ominous. Not content to be a simple haunted house film... the movie goes beyond the confines of its story and strives for something bigger. There are elements of HIGHLANDER in the subplot about a renegade priest dueling (literally) with a seemingly immortal foe. There's a big action sequence out of THE BIRDS where the demonic child takes on an entire SWAT team. And the film's one mistake... a SHARKNADO like park scene that feels out of place in this otherwise creepy and satisfying movie. It's also very gory. Ironically of all the PG-13 horror movies lately... a TV movie is the one that delivers the R-rated goods.While the plot is most reminiscent of THE OMEN and PET SEMETARY, the filmmakers have clearly taken influence from the James Wan play book. In fact, I would argue that this film is more successful at capturing Wan's trademark creepy atmosphere and tone than his own spin off ANNABELLE. Sci-Fi paired this film with the INSIDIOUS films and its easy to see why. If they decide to make INSIDIOUS 4... maybe give these people a call.Final verdict... terrifically atmospheric, strong acting, so-so low budget CG, way above average Sci-Fi channel movie.