Ominous (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews (16)

It was OK.

[youngcountry84 · 5/10 · 10 January 2017]

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.

Problematic and cliché killer child effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 4/10 · 13 October 2015]

Following the tragic death of their son, a grieving family is offered the opportunity to see him again only to realize they have the demonic spawn of the Antichrist in their care and must try to prevent his true form from appearing.

This here was a rather disappointing but still enjoyable effort with some decent parts about it. For the most part, what tends to work here is the rather enjoyable amount of action on display here, which tends to come off rather nicely here by bringing a lot of exciting moments. The first few times this happens, from the initial reaction to the dog and the strange looks and glances he gave to the chilling way he would pop up everywhere during any kind of conversation, even if it dealt with him or not, is certainly enough to feel that something is going on before it gets to the rather fun display of powers in the church eruption. This is quite a big, gateway scene that fully explores the power within through an explosive action-sequence that features the priest catching fire and the subsequent race to put him out amidst the panicked crowds and then using the supernatural powers to explode the stained-glass windows and using them to wound a fellow priest on the scene gives this a truly strong sequence. Likewise, the playground attack of him gathering objects through supernatural means and flinging them through the air with supernatural winds while killing off dozens of people is a fantastic moment that comes off nicely as well as the police ambush on their hotel hideout where the drawing of the murderous crows is sent into battle against the agents and bringing about tons of great deaths and action with the demonic-influenced creatures generating a lot of fun throughout here. The resulting battle in the head-room and chase back to the house is all fine enough, and along with the decent gore here make this one good enough to become watchable although there are some big flaws on display here. The main issue here is the film's main premise, which is surprisingly never once brought up as anything more than a means to move the film along and never once questioned or even given much consideration as for why anyone would welcome that to begin with, and the need for doing so is never given here other than parental guilt. Also, this has the unfortunate problem of literally requiring everyone around him to be the biggest morons on the planet for their cluelessness at what's going on, for it's one thing to feel parental guilt and remorse over what happened which may make them turn a blind eye to the proceedings, but it's another when this one does such a fantastic job at demonstrating his obvious evil tendencies that to not recognize it after the priests' murder or the incident at the gas- station which should've been the biggest clue something was wrong here. That is so incompetently handled that it really sticks out in here, much like the lousy CGI on display does to crop up here from time to time. Even further, that this relies so heavily on borrowed material is quite troubling, really making this out to be lifted from so many other sources that it can't even find its own identity in here. These issues are what really hold this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence, Language and violence-against-animals.

Nowhere near as bad as some reviewers say

[rooster_davis · 5/10 · 16 August 2023]

No this is not a top level horror movie. Not at all. However it is far better than some of the reviewers are saying. One star? I think a movie that rates one star would be like, The Bowery Boys Meet Abbott and Costello on Mars or something.

I disagree with the reviews ripping child-actor Gavin Lewis. He was about as sweet and cute of a kid as you could hope for, only now that he's been brought back from the dead, his sweet facade is only that. At first he starts to turn against his father, he exercises his powers against people in the park who aggravate him, and finally when Satan (I guess it was) gets hold of him, then we see just how evil and nasty the boy is.

I realize the special effects with the birds were only so-so but then so were they IMO in the ultimate killer birds movie, Hitchcock's The Birds.

At the end of the story when the lyoungster has suddenly grown up and attacks his father, the mom has to do the job of finishing the kid off... and after he's dead, there lays her little boy again on the floor.

It's not a great movie by any stretch but it is entirely better than many of the reviews that quibble over grammar and other irrelevant nonsense. I gave it a five, a solid five.

Ominous is pretty ominous

[ddorman-08666 · 1/10 · 12 October 2015]

Terrible, cliché ridden crap movie. I thought this was going to be a pretty good movie and looked forward to watching. Boy was I wrong. This is a very slow moving, predictable piece of terrible cinema. I wouldn't watch again if my life depended on it. Bad acting, bad storyline and bad script all combine to make one awful experience. A lot of SyFys original movies are pretty good, and this one had potential, however ended up falling flat. This story had been told a hundred different ways in a hundred other much better movies than this one. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. Even reading a dictionary is a better idea than watching this drivel.

God awful including the grammar

[mst900 · 1/10 · 25 October 2015]

Horrible poor cliché of a movie. Terrible imitation of Godsend,The Omen,and Orphan. The acting is bad, although of the three main characters, the mother is the best. The little boy playing the child is contrived, stilted,one of the worst actors and at times comical.He is clearly playing a part. The "writer" does not even know basic grammar-to my mother and I instead of the proper object of the preposition-me. He makes this error throughout the movie's dialogue. I watched while I waited for a phone call so I did see pretty much all the film. Somehow I thought it might get better, but no such luck. Movies today are rarely horror, but too frequently horrible. I love a good fright but not silly nonsense that has no subtlety, artistry, or fear elements. Ominous is what this movie is-a warning to steer clear.

a piece of trash omen clone

[hammerheadshome · 20 March 2017]

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.

Wow -- a truly bad movie

[shiner310 · 1/10 · 28 January 2017]

First of all -- who are these people who give this movie ten stars? Either they work for the company that made this movie or are incredibly stupid or have never seen a good movie.

As noted by others - this movie is a really poor imitation of The Omen and its other incarnations.

There is no tension or suspense or even drama. Without any subtlety, our demonic boy uses his 'powers' to kill those around him. Here is where the movie's low budget becomes most evident with its basement quality (laughable) CGI.

There was zero empathy created for the characters. The mom is daft to the facts around him, unconvinced his baby is responsible for the various murders around him - even when he walks away from a burning car without a scratch.

This movie looks like the typical crappy Syfy made for TV movies. And even though, every time I see one of these POC, I vow never to watch this channel again, but the kid in me who grew up on 'Creature Features' (showing my age here), still loves a good monster/horror movie.

This wasn't one.

Laughable all the way.

[Patient444 · 2/10 · 11 May 2016]

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! A 2 stars movie! Can you imagine that? Well, lucky for you, you don't have to, you just need to watch Ominous!

Worse special effects I've seen the past 5 years, truly bad, possibly made in Paint, quite a viable explanation. The plot is overused, the acting B movie all the way, the camera is nothing special, and making a full circle, returning to the CGI, cause if there is no room for horror, there sure is for laughter! If you see this with friends you will laugh and have a blast. I guarantee it!!

All joke aside, I mean, Ominous aside, this is a movie you simply must not touch. Consider it being the haunted tape from The Ring. The effect might be similar. Stay away. Go somewhere else. Warn others.

Cheers!

Ominous, you say?

[diedpretty · 2/10 · 24 June 2021]

This film hurt my brain. A lot.

Poorly acted, too much echo, inane and derivative plot; I could go on. A complete waste of time.

Another "Damien" Picture

[lavatch · 6/10 · 17 April 2016]

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."

What drug was the crew on??

[mimiybyazphil · 1/10 · 6 May 2021]

Sad, ridiculous , awful and TERRIBLE!

Looked like Stevie Wonder did the special effects, TWO fake dead dogs! REALLY?!

This script was obviously written at a DRUG REHAB center!

Best scary movie in a while...

[egererl · 8/10 · 13 October 2015]

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.

I watched this only because of Esme

[mistela67 · 3/10 · 28 June 2021]

I assumed Esme Bianco, who played the mother of Jacob in Ominous, but also had a solid role in Game of Thrones, had better opportunities post GOT, so I don't know why she chose this role. GOT alumni haven't properly utilized their fame to get quality roles. This movie is just horrible. A little bit of Omen, a little bit of Exorcist, and whole lot of nothing in between. She took her role seriously, and she put for the proper emotions when needed. But "Ominous" didn't even make the cut as a bottom feeder SYFY movie. Horrid script, poor directing, subpar acting. Just a super bad movie, all around. Esme, don't cheat yourself, or us. You can do better than this.

3/10.

Well directed horror movie

[monicakozlowski567 · 9/10 · 26 October 2015]

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.

Wow wow wow!

[stevenlancaster-01312 · 10/10 · 26 October 2015]

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.

amazing

[purplelurple234 · 10/10 · 10 August 2016]

One of the best horror movies I've seen in a very long time. Truly heartfelt with easy to relate to characters you can connect with. The story is very well composed with plenty of suspense building and no jump scares, The acting is incredible and you can tell these actors are experienced and are on their way to the big time. This movie takes you on a wild and scary trip through these peoples' lives and troubles as well as the decisions they have to make. A movie like this is unmatched in my opinion by anything released in the past 20 maybe 30 years. The cgi is amazing and life like which just adds to an already intense atmosphere. Ominous is most definitely a must see. Though sequels tend to be disappointing I can't help but hope they make another.