Ominous (2015)

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

all i can say is do not waste your time. this movie is so so so pathetic from start to finish , rip offs from a multitude of other far better films. warning if you choose to watch it you might want to gauge out your eyes i know i did. i remember when the syfy channel put out very good movies all the time worthy of watching over and over again but no more it seems 90% of the time their movies are horrific.

I saw that Barry Watson was in this movie and I haven't seen him in a while so I decided to watch. This poor couple Rachel & Michael Young (Esmé Bianco & Barry Watson) lose their son Jacob played by Gavin Lewis. A creepy man (Mark Lindsay Chapman) approaches them & claims to be able to bring the boy back from the dead. In their grief, they accept the offer (I was always told not to accept candy from a stranger....I'm thinking that an offer to bring a dead loved one back to life falls into the no-no category as well). After they take the deal, shockingly, bad things start happening. As the movie went on, I questioned a lot of things- especially the decisions the characters made. When the movie ended though, I thought about it & some of the things they did made sense in a "we brought back our dead kid, he's not the same, & now we don't know what to do" kind of way. The best thing about the movie- and why I gave it 5 stars- is Gavin Lewis as Jacob. There were times this kid genuinely creeped me out. He would've been downright scary if the CGI wasn't so terrible. The worst part of this movie is definitely the end. It. Was. Awful. There's really nothing special about this movie, it's been done a few times before. I wouldn't recommend watching it- but I guess it depends on what you like. What I learned from watching this movie: If it moves like a duck & quacks like a duck- there's a chance that it still may not be the duck that you know & love. Just say no to tall, dark, & creepy strangers. Barry Watson isn't a bad actor but the only 7th Heaven kid that I know has done anything worth mentioning is Jessica Biel. That's only because she married Timberlake.I do apologize if this review seemed a little scatter brained but it's my first review without spoilers.

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.