Written & Directed By: Lee Cronin
Cinematography: Dave Garbett
Editor: Bryan Shaw
Cast: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Shylo Molina, Billie Roy, Veronica Falcon, Havet Kamille, May Eighety
Eight years after her sudden disappearance in Egypt, a severely traumatized teenager is returned to her shattered family in New Mexico, triggering a visceral nightmare as they realize she is hosting an ancient, demonic parasite.
A mummy movie by way of the Evil Dead
No matter what I have to say about this film, I can appreciate that Lee Cronin didn’t simply remake the Brendan Fraser version. Instead of another action-adventure, he tries to bring The Mummy back into the horror genre. That’s an idea I genuinely admire.
The problem is that it often feels less like The Mummy and more like another Lee Cronin horror film. If you’ve seen Evil Dead Rise, you’ll probably recognize the DNA almost immediately.
Horror first, it seems like the mummy cems second. Rather than focusing on ancient curses and classic monster horror, the film mixes together possession, exorcisms, ancient spirits, cursed objects, and over-the-top gore. By the time the third act arrives, it feels more like an Evil Dead movie wearing a mummy costume.
The similarities are obvious, and sometimes it feels as though the “mummy” element was added to a story that already wanted to be something else.
The film is Way too long. The biggest issue is the running time.
The first two acts spend so much time introducing characters, building mysteries, and lining up future victims that the film starts to drag. I understand why Cronin wants to establish the world, but everything feels over-explained.
Instead of creating tension, the movie keeps building… and building… and building.
It isn’t boring, but it definitely tests your patience.
When it works, Once the film finally reaches its third act, it becomes the wild, bloody horror movie it has been promising.
Cronin doesn’t hold back. The violence is brutal, the gore is excessive, and the film is surprisingly mean-spirited. Nobody feels safe, whether they’re children, adults, or elderly characters. That cruelty gives the movie an edge that many modern studio horror films avoid.
The creepy atmosphere also works more often than it doesn’t, even if the pacing occasionally gets in its own way.
I understand Why audiences were divided. I can understand why this version didn’t connect with everyone.
Some viewers were probably hoping for another swashbuckling adventure like the Brendan Fraser films. Others may have wanted something closer to the classic Universal horror movies from the 1930s and 1940s.
Instead, they got what is essentially an Evil Dead-style horror film built around mummy mythology.
That’s not necessarily a bad idea. it just isn’t what many people expected.
This is one of those movies that’s difficult to judge.
It accomplishes many of the things it sets out to do, but it also overdoes them. It explains too much, stretches scenes longer than necessary, and could easily have lost 20 or 30 minutes.
Still, I had a good enough time. It’s entertaining, the cast is solid, and I appreciate that Cronin tried something different instead of copying what came before.
It may not be the mummy movie everyone wanted, but it’s a decent horror popcorn film, even if it sometimes feels like an unofficial EVIL DEAD sequel wrapped in ancient bandages.
Grade: C
