Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Movie Review: A Terrifying New Horror Tale
- Lee Cronin's latest horror film, "The Mummy," has arrived in theaters to a chorus of critical responses, with reviewers divided on whether the director's blend of family drama...
- The Hollywood Reporter describes the film as "A Family Under Threat From Within," focusing on the domestic horror at the story's core.
- The result isn't quite a 28 Days Later moment – one way to understand the film's full title is that this feels like one filmmaker's interpretation of a...
Lee Cronin’s latest horror film, “The Mummy,” has arrived in theaters to a chorus of critical responses, with reviewers divided on whether the director’s blend of family drama and grotesque horror succeeds in revitalizing the classic monster franchise. Cronin, known for his work on the “Evil Dead” franchise, brings his signature visceral style to this A24-backed production, which centers on an American family living in Egypt whose young daughter disappears and returns years later, profoundly changed.
The Hollywood Reporter describes the film as “A Family Under Threat From Within,” focusing on the domestic horror at the story’s core. According to their review, the film’s strength lies in its portrayal of parental desperation as Katie, the missing daughter, reappears after eight years with alarming behavioral and physical changes that suggest something far more sinister than a simple reunion.
The result isn’t quite a 28 Days Later moment – one way to understand the film’s full title is that this feels like one filmmaker’s interpretation of a classic monster, rather than a new template for others to follow – but it’s definitely the scariest a mummy movie has been in years.
ScreenRant
Variety’s Guy Lodge characterizes the film as “a long, lavishly gory horror ride” that showcases Cronin’s continued growth as a genre filmmaker. Lodge notes that while the film runs “well over two hours” and may be “a bit too much of a good, grisly thing,” it delivers substantial rewards for horror enthusiasts seeking practical effects and intense sequences.Lee Cronin brings his Evil Dead energy to a familiar monster and the resulting horror movie alternates between chilling scares and gross-out fun.
ScreenRant
Bloody Disgusting offers a different perspective, framing the film as “A Classic Monster Gets Lost in Demonic Possession Horror Story.” Their review suggests that while Cronin attempts to honor the essential mythology of mummies, the film’s heavy reliance on possession tropes from influences like “The Exorcist” and “Hereditary” sometimes obscures the unique qualities that define the mummy as a monster.Brashly violent, clattery and pleasingly untied to any direct predecessor, the result is more generic than its braggy auteur claims might promise, but there’s a lot here for gorehounds to feast on.
Variety