The Antichrist becomes an adolescent evil-doer in this second instalment of the satanic saga, which relies too openly on the same shock suspense tricks that made the original such a huge success. Here, Damien reads the Book of Revelation and discovers all about his true past, but lightning refuses to strike twice, mainly because of our over-familiarity with the chilling concept and Don Taylor's banal direction. William Holden and Lee Grant handle their roles as Damien's marked foster parents with considerable skill, and their performances in the disturbing apocalyptic finale are the high point of this otherwise missed opportunity.

Since the sudden and suspicious deaths of his parents, young Damien has been in the charge of his wealthy aunt and uncle and enrolled in a military school. Widely feared to be the Antichrist, he relentlessly plots to seize control of his uncle's business empire — and the world.