The Omen (2006) Ending Explained

Is it possible to believe that beneath the exterior of a singular precious, innocent child-like face lurks the ultimate evil determined to ignite the world on fire and watch it burn? To make that theoretical query all the more complex, what if that child was your own son? It'd be a seemingly impossible task to will that belief into your mind, but that is what diplomat Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) was asked to do by ministers of faith in the 1976 horror classic "The Omen." 

Unnerving, eerie and unforgettable (and possibly cursed), director Richard Donner induced anxieties in audiences far and wide with the pensive film, which chronicles the Antichrist's entrance into the world, setting the stage for him to gain power through the world's political establishments. It was a landmark achievement in horror that has inspired countless rip-offs. So, thirty years later, it only seemed natural it would get remade.

The 2006 "Omen" remake (directed by John Moore from "A Good Day to Die Hard") was made for modern audiences. This time, Liev Schrieber replaced Gregory Peck as Thorn, Julia Stiles played the mother of young Damien, and the film mostly copied every story beat from the original, save a few minor details. While the remake didn't sit well with some critics, it did have its fans — Roger Ebert, for one, praised the modernization. 

All these years later, it is still the original "Omen" that is best remembered, having performed well in its '70s box office heyday. Curiously, the remake has the distinction of ranking among the highest-grossing films to ever open on a Tuesday, pulling in a haul of $12 million domestically. That distinction as a historical footnote feels secure, as movies are rarely released on days other than Friday (its debut had everything to do with the film's stunt of being released on 06/06/2006, a reference to the mark of the beast as seen in the film). As Fox's president of distribution Bruce Snyder stated: "I was so concerned about it being a Tuesday, but obviously our marketing got the message across." 

Despite being a remake, it still made a chilling impact on audiences. Here's the ending to "The Omen" remake, explained.

Stationed in Italy, Robert Thorn's profession is that of an American diplomat. Following the "birth" of his son, his family begins to prosper in their lives overseas. After a few years pass, the Deputy Ambassador to the United Kingdom is killed during a freak accident, by all appearances. Of course, given the nature of the film's premise, we know other forces are at work. Due to the sudden death of the ambassador, Robert is given the position and moves his family into a spacious, fancy home in London. With the step up in prosperity, the Thorns hire a nanny for young Damien (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick).

Shortly after the move, the couple celebrate Damien's birthday with a big splash, inviting friends and co-workers of the Thorns and procuring a ridiculously oversized cake fit for the crowd. During the event, a photographer, Keith Jennings (David Thewlis), is present to record the diplomat's big day, snapping photos of the guests. Eventually, the nanny passes Damien along to his mother before noticing a black dog staring at her in the distance. The scene is accompanied by an unsettling score to indicate that this watchful eye is no mere canine. 

Quickly, we see the nanny has lost her marbles, as she has tied a rope around her neck on the rooftop of the Thorn home and exclaims, "It's all for you, Damien!" before stepping over the ledge. Horrified by what has transpired, Robert runs to turn his son away from the disturbing scene and comfort him. Damien seems unbothered, however, and slowly waves to the black hound still spookily watching from a distance.

Damien narrowly avoided setting foot inside a church building at the funeral by going wild and ferociously attacking his own mother in the car. Quick to avoid a scene, Robert tells the driver to keep driving past the church so that he can defuse the situation. Later, Katherine voices her concerns that her son might be "different." Robert insists that he's fine and has never "been sick a day in his life."

That night, Robert is startled by the low growl of a large dog in Damien's room as he gives the boy a hug. Apparently, Mrs. Baylock brought in a watchdog to help protect Damien without the Thorns' approval. When Mrs. Baylock tells the dogs to stop growling and recognize Robert as the master of the house, the dog instantly obeys. Perhaps even more strange, Mrs. Baylock said they found the dog outside. 

It's difficult to believe Mrs. Baylock is some sort of magical dog whisperer, so it's obvious there's something more supernatural afoot with this particular hellhound. Regardless, Robert orders her to get rid of the animal in the morning.

The next day, Katherine accompanies Damien and his classmates on a field trip to the zoo. There, she witnesses the animals getting agitated over the presence of the boy. That night, she confides in her husband that she continues to fear there is something off about Damien. Katherine feels guilt over her feelings, but can't ignore them. The next evening, she has a frightening dream in which she is brushing her teeth, but then sees a hideous jackal skeleton cloaked in a red robe in her bathroom mirror. When Katherine awakens from the dream, she heads downstairs and finds Damien making a sandwich in the kitchen. She tries to speak with him, but the little tyke picks up his meal and walks right past her.

Following that fateful meeting with the priest, Katherine reveals to Robert what he already knows  — she's pregnant. Instead of the revelation being a joyous one, however, Katherine is insistent that she get an abortion. She is consistently angered that Damien refuses to listen to her and that she senses something awful every time he's around. Katherine can't stand the idea of another child, and wants to terminate this pregnancy.

The following day, Katherine is on the third floor of their home, standing on a ladder overlooking the main hall watering her plants. Seemingly inspired by the nanny, Damien takes to his scooter and rams into her stool, knocking her over the ledge. She initially catches the ledge and begs for Damien to help, but the boy does nothing and she falls to the ground floor. Katherine doesn't die, but is admitted to the hospital with severe wounds and broken bones. When Robert rushes to the hospital to see his wife, she whispers to her husband to not "let him kill me." This ominous message opens Robert up to the possibility, finally, that his son might be evil.

Robert and Keith first begin at the hospital where Damien was born, learning that it burned in a great fire, killing many people; the maternity ward, in particular, was considered by one nun as "an inferno." When Robert asked the nun about the tall priest that was overseeing the maternity ward, she instantly identified him as Father Spiletto — the priest who encouraged Robert to take Damien after the death of his own biological son. At the direction of the nun, the two head for a monastery in Subiaco, the believed location of Father Spiletto.

Along the journey, Robert and Keith make a pit stop to discuss interpretations of the book of Revelation, as connected with the present-day world. Keith states that according to scripture, the Antichrist's forthcoming will be signaled by prophecies of the Jews returning to Israel and the rise of the Holy Roman Empire. Robert connects the latter prophecy with the Treaty of Rome and the formation of the European Union. Another prophecy stating that the beast will rise from the sea is clarified by Keith. He states that the interpretation of the sea in this case is that of politics. The beast will rise from the world of politics, a segment of society with significant power and control. At this moment, Robert begins to think introspectively — his ambassador position clearly provides a gateway for Damien to the political world.

After arriving in Subiaco and taking an eerie boat ride through the fog, Robert and Keith arrive at Father Spiletto's monastery. When approaching Spiletto, however, viewers might be forgiven for thinking Thorn was about to converse with Emperor Palpatine. 

Severely disfigured, pale, and draped in a black cloak, the priest sits in a wheelchair. While only five years may have passed, those short years have been cruel to him, and casting his lot with the Devil likely didn't help. Robert asks the priest to tell him where he can find Damien's mother. Apparently mute, Spiletto writes the name of an old cemetery: Cerveteri.

After Robert receives word of his wife's death, he is finally convinced of what must be done, and travels to Meggido to find out how to kill Damien. After finding Bugenhagen (Michael Gambon), he instructs Robert in the proper method for killing the child. He must stab Damien with seven sacrificial daggers on hallowed ground. During Bugenhagen's ramblings about the procedure, Robert becomes doubtful, as he recalls the five years he has spent raising this child. 

Bugenhagen tells Thorn that the child bears the mark of the beast (666) somewhere on his body. Robert insists he has never seen any such mark on the child his entire life. As he grapples with the notion of murdering a child, Robert ultimately loses his nerve.

Rejecting the plan to kill Damien, he tosses the daggers. Keith, fearing for his own life, tells Robert that he will then do what needs to be done. He runs to collect the discarded daggers. Just as he does so, a hammer from a construction worker on a roof above falls and hits a sign just above Keith. The sign becomes dislodged and swings downward, decapitating the photographer. Seeing Keith's death omen coming to fruition is, once again, the motivation Robert needs to do the unthinkable. He grabs the daggers and heads home.