When I mention that I went to see Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, what comes to mind initially? Maybe you think old school with Boris Karloff in black and white. Maybe Brenden Frasier comes to mind, a swash-buckling adventure in the desert where an undead monster wrapped in cloth trudges its way through the desert. Maybe you even think of Tom Cruise, in an action-packed re-imagining of the classic tale. That was my thought when I went to see Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, but I would be wrong…dead wrong.
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy has more in common with The Exorcist than any of the above films. It’s a head scratching title considering it shares little in common with other Mummy films, focusing more on an ancient Egyptian demon possession and no real mummy to speak of. In the very loosest of definitions the demon is encased in a sarcophagus, and it does take place in Egypt initially. If that’s how you define a mummy movie, then I suppose the title does work.
I honestly went into the film with very little information about it. Part of that was intentional as I wanted to be surprised by the film and not go in with any expectations. I had seen one preview (which says more about how well it’s been marketed versus me intentionally avoiding them).
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, produced by New Line Cinema and Blumhouse revolves around the story of a missing girl named Katie (Emily Mitchell) who is kidnapped from her backyard in Egypt. 8 years pass and the family (Jack Raynor, Laia Costa, Dean Allen Williams) have made a new life for themselves in Albuquerque New Mexico. Keeping her room exactly as she would have wanted the family has moved on with their lives, never forgetting the pain of losing their youngest daughter. A call from Egypt changes all that when the authorities reach out and alert the family that their daughter has been found…alive.
Overjoyed the family travels back to Egypt to reunite with their missing daughter. However, their joy turns to sorrow and fear when they are brought together. Their daughter, who is now a young lady (Natalie Grace) is a former shell of herself, unable to speak and extremely malnourished. At the recommendation of both the doctors and the missing persons detective Dalia (May Calamawy) the family returns to New Mexico in an effort to restore the little girl who they all love and adore.
Shortly after returning home any joy, they may have quickly turns to fear as the family attempts to uncover the mystery of what has happened to their daughter and dispel the entity that has a hold on her. Following several supernatural events, the family, along with their new partner Dalia, must act quickly if they want to save her (and themselves).
As I alluded to, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy shares no commonality with the movies that have shared that name came before it. It could have easily been called Lee Cronin’s The Exorcist and it would have drawn the same type of attention. The movie leans heavily into gore and gross out moments to drive the narrative. For those looking for a more tense, psychological thriller may want to pass on this. However, if you are into graphic gory slay fests then this might be up your alley.
As my friend who attended the premier put it, “it’s a demon movie wrapped up in a mummy movie.” (pun intended), and that might be the perfect way to describe it. At the end of the day this movie just wasn’t really for me. I’m not opposed to gory films when they serve a narrative purpose, or when they’re so over the top that you must laugh at it. To be fair there were many times when the audience around me burst out laughing. I don’t know if that was the purpose, nor was that my first thought to do so. Maybe it was nervous laughter or maybe people just enjoy some of the more gross-out scenes, I don’t know.
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy certainly puts a spin on the whole Mummy movie theme. For better or worse the film goes in an entirely new direction and might be the perfect film for those who weren’t excited to see another mummy flick. Visually the movie is outstanding and will be released on IMAX as well as wide release in theaters everywhere. Do the visuals alone justify the cost and experience in IMAX? I don’t think so, but it’s an option for those who wish to do so.
2.5 out of 5 stars
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