Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is a frustrating mixed bag. Coming off Evil Dead Rise, Cronin clearly brings the same DNA here—but instead of feeling like a fresh take on the classic monster, this ends up feeling like an Evil Dead movie disguised as a mummy story.
The film follows a family whose daughter, Katie, disappears in Cairo, only to reappear eight years later after being trapped in a sarcophagus. From there, things spiral into possession, infection, and full-on chaos. The cast is led by Jack Reynor, alongside Laila Costa, May Calamawy, and Natalie Grace as Katie.
Let’s start with the biggest issue: this movie is way too long. At around two hours and twenty minutes, it feels bloated for a horror film like this. And on top of that, the character decisions are unbelievably frustrating. This might be one of the worst offenders of the “people acting stupid in horror movies” trope I’ve seen in a while. The parents, in particular, are just painful to watch—constantly ignoring obvious warning signs and making choices that make zero sense. It gets to a point where it’s not even tension-building anymore, it’s just exhausting.
That said, there are things that work. Like Cronin’s previous film, this one goes hard on the gross-out horror. There’s a lot of body horror—skin peeling, disturbing imagery, and some nasty moments involving scorpions. If you’re squeamish, this is probably not for you. But if you’re into that kind of horror, there are definitely moments that land. The possession sequences are especially effective—physically intense, creepy, and well-executed.
The strongest part of the movie, though, is everything set in Cairo. The subplot following Detective Zaki investigating Katie’s disappearance is easily the most engaging thread in the film. It feels focused, atmospheric, and genuinely interesting. Honestly, there’s a version of this movie that stays in Cairo and leans into that mystery—and it might have been a much better film.
Unfortunately, once the story shifts to the family in New Mexico, things start to fall apart. The plot becomes messy, scenes feel abruptly cut, and certain moments just… end without resolution. It really feels like a longer movie that was heavily trimmed down, leaving behind a disjointed final product. Characters are introduced briefly and then disappear, and major events happen with little to no consequences—there’s even a full-on disaster at a funeral that somehow doesn’t lead to any real-world fallout, which is hard to buy.
Performance-wise, the child actors actually do a solid job across the board. They don’t save the movie, but they’re believable and effective in their roles. The adults, on the other hand—especially the parents—are just frustrating to watch because of how they’re written. I also wasn’t fully sold on Jack Reynor’s performance; some of his choices felt repetitive and distracting.
There’s clearly a good movie buried in here somewhere. The mythology is interesting, the horror elements can be effective, and Cronin definitely has a distinct style—he knows how to stage possession and deliver unsettling visuals. But it’s all weighed down by a convoluted plot, poor character logic, and an overlong runtime. You can almost picture a tighter 90-minute version of this that actually works.
The final scene is one of the few moments that really landed—it caught me off guard and ended things on a strong note. But it’s not enough to save the overall experience, especially when the film tries to give this family a “happy ending” that just doesn’t feel earned or believable after everything that’s happened.
At the end of the day, The Mummy has flashes of something solid, but it’s buried under frustration. A few good ideas, some effective horror, and a strong subplot can’t overcome messy storytelling and characters that constantly make baffling decisions. There’s potential here—but this isn’t it.
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy = 58/100