Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- lurid
- foreboding
- late night horror marathon
- cult movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film fast-paced and equipped with impressive effects but undermined by an imitative premise, weak logic, and foolish storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Patrick Channing is executed in the gas chamber yet returns through demonic power to continue killing.
Detective Russell Logan pursues a killer whose crimes require supernatural explanations and assistance from psychic Tess Seaton.
The detective partnership and serial-killer pursuit are embedded in an explicitly devil-powered horror premise.
The investigation follows a supernatural serial killer through Los Angeles in a gritty urban crime-thriller setting.
Films like The First Power, and why
Fallen
shared supernatural serial killer premise, occult horror, and police investigation
The Hidden
shared Los Angeles crime investigation, demonic menace, and gritty supernatural thriller tone
The Night Stalker
shared occult crime procedural structure and fast-paced pursuit of a seemingly impossible killer
Spellbinder
shared demonic possession themes, psychic investigation, and late-1980s supernatural horror atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Resnikoff
- Release Date
- 1990-04-06
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (109)
Cast
- Lou Diamond Phillips
- Tracy Griffith
- Jeff Kober
- Mykelti Williamson
- Dennis Lipscomb
- Carmen Argenziano
- Clayton Landey
- David Gale
- Philip Abbott
- J. Patrick McNamara
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The First Power about?
- A Los Angeles detective and a psychic race to stop an executed serial killer empowered by the Devil before his supernatural murders continue.
- What is The First Power like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The First Power as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The First Power violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The First Power as graphic.
- What did critics think of The First Power?
- Critics broadly found the film fast-paced and equipped with impressive effects but undermined by an imitative premise, weak logic, and foolish storytelling.
- Which films are like The First Power?
- Films with a similar feel include Fallen, The Hidden, The Night Stalker, and Spellbinder.
- How long is The First Power?
- The First Power runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch The First Power?
- In United States, The First Power streams on Amazon Prime Video, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel .
