The allure of the mummy is timeless, from Boris Karloff's haunting 1932 portrayal to Brendan Fraser's swashbuckling adventures. For decades, audiences have craved a truly terrifying return to the creature's horror roots. Enter director Lee Cronin, fresh off reviving a classic with Evil Dead Rise, teaming with Blumhouse for a new, scary The Mummy. The promise was immense, but the final product, while chilling, feels like it's wearing another monster's bandages.
A Family Cursed, Not a Monster Unleashed
This isn't a Universal Monsters tale or a revival of Imhotep. Cronin's film, a Warner Bros. production, follows the Cannon family. Their world shatters when their daughter Katie is abducted during an Egyptian vacation. Eight years later, a miracle occurs: Katie is found alive. But the young woman who returns, played with unsettling intensity by Natalie Grace, is profoundly changed. As the family brings her home, an Egyptian detective (May Calamawy) investigates the dark truth behind her disappearance.
The setup is ripe for a unique horror story blending ancient curse with modern trauma. Yet, the film quickly shows its hand. From the first trailer, comparisons to Cronin's own Evil Dead Rise were inevitable—the besieged family, grotesque body horror, a taunting villain. The problem isn't the similarity; it's that The Mummy seems so dedicated to that template it neglects its own mythos. Egyptian settings and the occasional scarab beetle feel like set dressing for a story that fundamentally belongs to a different fiend.
More Exorcist Than Explorer
Where the film truly loses its identity is in its overwhelming debt to The Exorcist. The central dynamic of a girl returned home possessed by an ancient evil, the specific beats of familial despair, and even certain aesthetic choices feel less like homage and more like replication. For long stretches, you'd be forgiven for forgetting you're watching a mummy movie at all. It's a frustrating choice, squandering the potential for a fresh, culturally-grounded horror that the premise initially suggests. Fans awaiting the franchise's next chapter might be better served revisiting Brendan Fraser's classic adventure on Hulu or the cult favorite Rachel Weisz performance on HBO Max.
Cronin's technical skill is undeniable. He crafts several genuinely tense sequences, aided by strong practical effects and a chilling soundscape. Natalie Grace is a standout, fully committing to the film's monstrous vision. However, these effective moments are undercut by a bloated runtime and characters who consistently make baffling decisions. The Cannon family's refusal to acknowledge the glaring supernatural threat in their midst becomes a narrative crutch, leading to illogical choices that strain credibility.
A Missed Opportunity for Monster Horror
Ultimately, Lee Cronin's The Mummy is a competent, often scary horror film that suffers from a severe identity crisis. It proves Cronin can direct a mean scare, but it fails to justify its own title. The mummy concept feels like a marketing hook rather than the story's heart, buried under references to more iconic horror works. While it may satisfy viewers simply seeking a jolt, it disappoints those hoping for a revival that truly explores the unique terror of its namesake creature. For a film promising to unearth new fears, it spends too much time digging up the ghosts of other, better movies. If you're looking for films that genuinely challenge horror's heights, consider exploring other contenders that might just out-scare 'The Exorcist'.
The legacy of the mummy on screen continues, with another chapter already promised for 2026. Meanwhile, fans of the original trilogy can look forward to John Hannah's confirmed return in the long-awaited fourth film. Cronin's attempt, while spirited, leaves one wishing this particular incarnation had stayed in its tomb.
