The First Power

Name: The First Power
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Crime
Released: April 6, 1990
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 35
Cast: Carmen Argenziano, Dennis Lipscomb, Elizabeth Arlen, Jeff Kober, Julianna McCarthy

1990

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

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The First Power

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Movie Details & Credits

Orion Pictures | Release Date: April 6, 1990 | R

Starring: Carmen Argenziano, Dennis Lipscomb, Elizabeth Arlen, Jeff Kober, Julianna McCarthy, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mykelti Williamson, Nada Despotovich, Sue Giosa, Tracy Griffith

Summary: A dedicated L.A. police detective and a female psychic must stop a demonic serial killer who was given the powers of resurrection, teleportation and possession.

Director: Robert Resnikoff

Genre(s): Thriller, Horror, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 98 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Staff (Not Credited)

Resnikoff fails to sustain the tension established in the opening sequences, and the plot quickly degenerates into a repetitive pattern of possession and exorcism for the victims requisitioned by Channing's soul to do its bidding. With the exception of Phillips, the performances are remarkably unconvincing. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Regardless of his true intentions, Resnikoff has made a screwy horror movie that, despite itself, is fun to watch. Read full review

Michael Upchurch

No matter what its virtues are, this Satanic gobbledy-gook still tastes like gobbledy-gook. [09 Apr 1990, p.E3]

Richard Harrington

The First Power tries awfully hard to combine two popular film genres -- the police thriller and the occult assault -- and comes up short on both ends. Read full review

Desson Thomson

A disposable intermixing of son-of-Satan and cop-thriller cliches, featuring the requisite string of murder victims (with bloody pentagrams carved into their bodies). Read full review

Susan Wloszczyna

If they were going to make a movie with Phillips about a dead guy who comes back to life, why didn't they just make La Bamba II? [05 Apr 1990, p.6D]

Owen Gleiberman

Yet another low-grade spectacular about an evil force that leaps from body to body. Read full review

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User Reviews

JLau

Sep 12, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A serial killer is caught by a detective and executed but because he was a member of the occult, has been granted the ability to be resurrected and can now possess people, so the detective and a psychic try to stop him.… Expand

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