The First Power

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The First Power

R

1990

1h 39m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

25%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

46%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A Los Angeles policeman (Lou Diamond Phillips) hunts a killer (Jeff Kober) brought back from the gas chamber by Satan.

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: D

Sep 7, 2011

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Entertainment Weekly

Rated: D

Apr 6, 1990

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

A huge tease; because there is no necessity to explain its boisterous absurdity. [Full review in Spanish]

Dec 1, 2022

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Silly and forgettable, unless you're a fan of vintage Phillips or curious to see 1990 Los Angeles, The First Power is a chore to sit through.

Rated: 1/5

Nov 3, 2020

Full Review

Brian Orndorf

Blu-ray.com

A digestible take on screen menace, using Phillips and co-star Jeff Kober quite well in this unremarkable but effective B-movie.

Rated: B

Sep 21, 2020

Full Review

Steve Newton

Georgia Straight

When you get right down to it, make-up and masks aren't nearly as scary as a human countenance hiding a black heart.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 20, 2014

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Gareth S

I loved this when I first watched it back in 1990 and still love it now, that it's on HD blu ray. Still scary and no matter what the critics say, it's well plotted and engaging. Lou Diamond Phillips and Jeff Kober at their finest.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/08/25

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Lisa B

A supernatural Thriller under appreciated by critics!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/29/24

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Greg R

A very enjoyable thriller of its time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/06/21

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Audience Member

This is a bad film made worse in that it's boring. Supposedly a Satanic thriller, the uneven performances, especially from lead Lou Diamond Phillips, never lead viewers to have any investment in the characters. The plot jumps around angularly, and characters are introduced out of nowhere. Not even worth late night accidental viewing as you likely won't stay awake.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Audience Member

Fun, sometimes cheesy thriller that you can tell influenced David Fincher and Scott Derrickson's filmmaking style. The story always keeps you interested, and supernatural elements never become over bearing and only go over the top when necessary. Sure Fincher and Derrickson made similar movies that were better (a lot better), but The First Power still has a charm of its own. What's not to like when killer starts chasing our heroes with a ceiling fan?

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

Decent little thriller from the 90s. A little cheesy and cliche in parts, but I can think of worse ways to waste some time...

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Robert Resnikoff

Director

Lou Diamond Phillips

Russell Logan

Tracy Griffith

Tess Seaton

Jeff Kober

Patrick Channing

Mykelti Williamson

Detective Oliver Franklin

Elizabeth Arlen

Sister Marguerite

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Synopsis

A Los Angeles policeman (Lou Diamond Phillips) hunts a killer (Jeff Kober) brought back from the gas chamber by Satan.

Director: Robert Resnikoff
Producer: David Madden
Production Co: Interscope Communications
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $20.6M
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Surround

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