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The First Power

The First Power

199098 minRMidcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Director
Robert Resnikoff
Starring
Lou Diamond Phillips, Tracy Griffith, Jeff Kober, Mykelti Williamson

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.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The First Power?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The First Power streaming on Prime Video, ScreenPix via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The First Power?

The First Power earns 2 badges, led by Unsettling and Broadly Agreed.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is The First Power worth watching?

The First Power's Midcredits score is the 29th percentile of all films, from 12K ratings across 6 sources. 34% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

29th percentile

Better received than 29% of films

28th percentile among Crime32nd percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)31st
Approval (how many liked it)29th

56 /100

31st percentile of all films

30th percentile among Crime33rd percentile among 1990s

Critics 35 · Audience 58

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.9 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

34% liked it

29th percentile of all films

29th percentile among Crime31st percentile among 1990s
34% rated it 7–1066% rated it 1–6

Critics 23% · Audience 46%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

81st percentile

12K ratings across platforms

77th percentile among Crime75th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 26% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$10M
Opening weekend$5.7M
Domestic gross$22M
Worldwide gross$22M

Returned 2.2× its budget — 85th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A fast-paced, cheesy supernatural thriller about a body-hopping serial killer with satanic powers.

Fans praised

  • Jeff Kober's charismatic, menacing villain performance
  • Fast pacing with exciting action sequences and stunts
  • Fun, entertaining B-movie if you turn off your brain

Detractors panned

  • Nonsensical plot full of logic holes and contradictions
  • Cheesy, dated execution with obvious stunt doubles
  • Lou Diamond Phillips unconvincing as a tough cop

What stands out

Pacing65

Fast, relentless momentum with many chase scenes

Effects and spectacleDivisive60

Impressive practical stunts and some cheesy effects

ActingDivisive58

Jeff Kober steals the show; Phillips and Griffith adequate but not standout

Cinematography48

Competent but bland; decent urban atmosphere

Characters42

Villain charismatic but hero generic; psychic a plot device

Ending40

Unsatisfying, confusing climax with false endings

Plot and story35

Contradictory rules, predictable, full of holes

Originality35

Derivative of Shocker, The Hidden; body-hopping concept not new

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is The First Power like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to be scared.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Bleak · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its supernatural horror with a grim seriousness, maintaining a dark and oppressive atmosphere.
The rideThe film maintains a pervasive sense of dread and tension from start to finish, with occasional spikes of violent action.
StructureConventional chronological narrative with a few dream sequences.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe ambiguous ending and the persistent threat of evil leave a lingering unease.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA police detective pursues a serial killer who uses satanic rituals and whose spirit returns after execution to possess others and continue killing.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% (this title) · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsFaith · 3% of filmsObsession · 3% of films: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film follows a detective's struggle to bring a supernatural killer to justice, testing his faith and consuming him with obsession.
StanceThe film warns about the dangers of the occult and the limits of earthly justice, presenting evil as a persistent, supernatural force.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalElectronicForeground music · original score · Stewart Copeland
SettingLos Angeles police detectives and a nun battle a satanic killer who returns from the dead
MusicStewart Copeland's score blends orchestral and electronic elements to underscore the film's supernatural thriller tone.

Content guide

Is The First Power okay for kids?

R

The First Power is rated R. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (78/100), sexual content at mild (33/100), language at intense (63/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (44/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). Its sexual content, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • UK18
  • Germany18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 61%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Profanity
Intense
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (8 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (47 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The First Power have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The First Power?

Cast

Lou Diamond Phillips
as Russell Logan
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tracy Griffith
as Tess Seaton
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jeff Kober
as Patrick Channing
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mykelti Williamson
as Detective Oliver Franklin
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Dennis Lipscomb
as Commander Perkins
Carmen Argenziano
as Lieutenant Grimes
Clayton Landey
as Mazza
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
David Gale
as Monsignor
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Philip Abbott
as Cardinal
J. Patrick McNamara
as Priest

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The First Power?

Movies like The First Power include Giallo (2009), The Plagues of Breslau (2018) and The Exorcist III (1990). Of the 12 closest matches, all are serial-killer stories and films about law enforcement.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its feel: brooding. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The First Power?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, premise: possession. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.