Movie Review: Lee Cronin's The Mummy
- Faiz Faisal
- 24 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Setup
Let’s be real: my expectations for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy were through the roof. After Cronin delivered the absolute masterclass in carnage that was Evil Dead Rise, I was ready to see him breathe new life into the Blumhouse "Classic Monster" stable. We’ve had a mixed bag so far—The Invisible Man was a genius pivot, while Wolfman was... questionable. But The Mummy? Directed by the guy who made me love chainsaws and cheese graters again? I was seated. I was hyped. And then I actually saw the movie.
The Marketing Bait-and-Switch
The road to the theater was confusing. That first teaser had me saying "huh?" because it looked nothing like a Mummy movie. The full trailer pulled me back in, and once the glowing "all praises" reviews dropped, I let my guard down. I went in wanting to love it, but I walked out feeling totally lost.
The Good (The Only Good)
Look, let’s give credit where it’s due: the gore is spot on. If there’s one thing Cronin knows, it’s how to make an audience squirm. The nastiness is a 10/10; it’s visceral, uncomfortable, and feels like daily life but on extreme horror steroids. If you’re just there to see blood and practical effects, you’ll be happy.
The Rant: This Isn’t a Mummy Movie
Here is where I get annoyed. If this had been marketed as another Evil Dead spin-off, I would’ve probably loved it. But this is supposed to be The Mummy. Instead, it felt like Cronin just brought his Evil Dead leftovers to Egypt. The "essence" of the Evil Dead franchise is so thick and overbearing here that the movie loses its own identity.
Aside from the protagonists working in Egypt, what makes this a Mummy movie? Nothing. Take away the sand, and you’re just watching Evil Dead with a slower, draggy pace. It’s lazy. Why bother reimagining a classic monster if you’re just going to turn it into a pale imitation of your last hit?
And to prove my point:
Feature | Evil Dead Rise (2023) | The Mummy (2026) |
Core Conflict | A family unit under siege by an ancient, infectious evil. | A family unit under siege by an ancient, infectious evil. |
The "Monster" | A loved one (Mom) who returns "wrong" and possessed. | A loved one (Daughter) who returns "wrong" and possessed. |
Setting | Claustrophobic urban apartment building. | Claustrophobic domestic house (Albuquerque). |
Gore Factor | Unrelenting, squirm-inducing practical effects (10/10). | Unrelenting, squirm-inducing practical effects (10/10). |
Signature Move | Deadite-style psychological taunting and physical contortions. | "Dead Eye" girl using psychological taunting and contortions. |
Pacing | A breakneck, 90-minute "rocket ship fuelled by blood". | Overlong (133 mins) and occasionally listless pacing. |
Cameos | Lily Sullivan as the hero (Beth). | Lily Sullivan as Maud's teacher (Miss Mills) |
Final Thoughts
The cast was fine, but honestly, "fine" doesn’t cut it when the movie feels this derivative. I watched Evil Dead Rise three times in theaters. This? I’m struggling to find a reason to even watch it again when it hits streaming. It’s a massive disappointment that chooses gore over soul.
Score: 6/10 (and that's being generous for the special effects).
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