If You Loved The First Omen, You Need To Check Out This New Horror Film

Diabolic is a haunting new horror film that's the perfect pick for anyone who enjoyed horror movies like The First Omen. For decades now, there's been a strong undercurrent of scary movies that use religious imagery and institutions as the backing for their stories. Some of the best have reshaped the entire horror genre in their wake.

Diabolic is a more focused take on the concept, with a relatively small cast of characters who unearth a terrible presence while trying to uncover the trauma the church left her with. The film's pacing, scares, and thematic weight give it a lot in common with The First Omen, making it an ideal follow-up for fans of that horror movie.

The First Omen was met with strong reviews and great word-of-mouth when it hit theaters in 2024, and fans of that film might have a new favorite with Diabolic. Both films focus on a young woman with a mysterious past trying to deal with mysterious visions and conspiracies that are more truthful than she realizes.

While The First Omen leaned heavily into the demonic potential of a Catholic conspiracy, Diabolic is more focused on the Mormon Church and the specific practices of that faith. Similar to The First Omen, Diabolic mines the religious imagery and satirical commentary for all that it's worth, delivering a haunting story with ties to real-world faiths.

Both Diabolic and The First Omen root their stories in a woman's agency and how an institution can take it away, all while leaving the door open for greater darkness to seep in and take advantage of the opening. Both films also play with repression, both traumatic and active, and the ways it can create monsters.

Both films also share a visual style that puts emphasis not just on the scary twists and turns, but also underscores the dream-like quality of a supernatural story. There's something deeply unsettling in Diabolic and The First Omen's approach to depicting the unknown, partly because it can go from awful to awe-inspiring so quickly.

The result is two films that engage with much of the same underlying thematic material, even as their characters, stories, and subject matter diverge in some key ways. It allows the films to feel connected on a deeper level than just being good, creepy stories, with a shared critical eye towards corrupted systems that turn faith into dehumanization.

Diabolic's Darker Elements Will Haunt You Long After The Movie Finishes

At the heart of Diabolic is Elizabeth Cullen's performance as Elise. Elise is a young woman who was forced out of the Mormon church years prior under mysterious circumstances, with the truth coming to light as the film progresses. Instead of being a sprawling conspiracy like the one in The First Omen, this one is focused on a single woman.

Diabolic explores the expectations placed on women like Elise, and the impact that the church's mistreatment and dismissal of her had on her life. It's a dark film that doesn't shy away from the darker implications of the narrative, showcasing how someone can be controlled by an outside force to be made into something they're not supposed to be.

Whether that's a young woman whose "rebellion" causes the church to mistreat her or a dark force hoping to use the opportunity to return to the land of the living, an innocent is punished for the sin of being herself. All it does is lay the groundwork for a lot of pain and the stage for Diabolic's scariest elements.

If movies like The Exorcist​​​​​, Knock at the Cabin, and especially The First Omen scratched your horror fan itch, then Diabolic is the perfect next film to watch. It's a creepy, slow burn that, similar to The First Omen, takes a serious turn when it decides to fully embrace the horror, giving Diabolic a memorably haunting finale.

Diabolic

Release Date November 20, 2025

Runtime 95 minutes

Director Daniel J. Phillips

Writers Ticia Madsen, Daniel J. Phillips, Mike Harding