LEE CRONIN'S THE MUMMY Review

"Don't worry, Grandma. It's fun to be dead."

Let me start by clearing something up. No! Brendan Fraser is not in this film. Nor is Tom Cruise. In fact, Lee Cronin's The Mummy takes on a more grittier and gnarlier version of the known property that originated back in 1932, when Boris Karloff played the titular role.

Cut to 2026 and we have Irish filmmaker, Lee Cronin (Evil Dead Rise), stepping into the director's chair and producers, Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity) and James Wan (The Conjuring), backing up the film with their respective production companies, Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster. One would think this could be an engaging film on the level of Lee's last film, right?

Unfortunately, the film is trying to be both an adrenaline, non-stop, gore fest and have this slow burn pace to itself, but isn't able to commit to a tone which makes the whole experience feel generic.

The premise for this new version revolves around the Cannon family, who reside in Cairo; Charlie is a TV reporter on assignment, while Larissa is stationed there as a nurse. Their youngest child, Katie, is abducted in the middle of a sandstorm. Despite the parents' efforts with the local authorities, they have no luck finding their missing daughter. Eight years pass, the family live in New Mexico where they get a phone call, notifying them that Katie's been found buried in a sarcophagus within a plane crash. However, they soon realize that something more sinister has been buried with their kid. They'll have to do whatever it takes to get rid of this evil, or else suffer dire consequences that could destroy their entire family.

Lee Cronin has been a promising director within the horror genre. I really enjoyed what he did with the new Evil Dead film back in 2023; it was a fun, engaging horror flick that provided gruesome kills as well as an impressive technical team working alongside him. It may not have been the most original film on the planet, but it was a fresh voice that was needed for the franchise. Add a brisk 97-minute runtime and you have yourself a good time at the theaters. And while some of what I liked in that film is in this new Mummy film, it isn't able to use that constant momentum Lee's previous film had.

In fact, there's too much going on making itself an excessively long flick. Not only do you have the family dealing with their daughter's grizzly changes, but you're also following the police procedural on what happened with Katie. Which would be fine, if the entire film had stayed committed with its long, drawn out tone or if the characters were more interesting to watch. Even if Lee's directorial flare is on display, it's as if he was confused on what type of horror film he wanted to tell. By not being committed or having interesting characters, the whole flick comes off as a generic, forgettable tale to the series.

With that said, there are aspects I do admire about the film. I like the practical gore effects used within the film. They can be grisly for one to handle at times, but even when I was covering my eyes from how grotesque they were I recognized the team did an incredible job. I also have to commend the sound team for doing a terrific job creating creepy as hell sound effects; they're not as spine tingling as Evil Dead Rise's use of sound, but it's still provides some memorable moments within the film. The cinematography by Dave Garbett and how it's used for certain shots can be impressive to watch, especially in the scenes involving Katie within her room. I'll even admit Natalie Grace, who plays the older version of Katie, does a good enough job playing the creepy, possessed child. She's no Linda Blair from The Exorcist, but she's probably the only actor in the ensemble that stands out, even if all of the characters come across as bland and, at times, dumb people.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy is a confusing film for me. I wasn't mad at it like I was with the Tom Cruise version, but I wasn't consistently engaged with it either. I do recognize the potential Lee has as a visionary director and would like to see more of his work. It's clear he's got a memorable style...even if he uses the split-diopter shot one too many times. But he's the kind of horror director I want whenever I decide to give this type of genre a chance. As far as this film goes, it's just a shame that this sarcophagus was cracked open with middling results.

🍿 SCORE = 54/100