Lee Cronin’s The Mummy

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, and Natalie Grace

Director: Lee Cronin

What’s Good: Some of the scares hit very well, and the characters are likeable enough to make their journeys worth watching.

What’s Bad: The runtime is a bit excessive, with some sections of the movie feeling like filler just to extend it.

Loo Break: You can take your break just right after the opening, catching the situation doesn’t take a lot of mental effort.

Watch or Not?: If you are a horror movie fan, then this is a must-watch, it won’t become your favorite horror movie, but it will definitely entertain you

Language: English (with Subtitles)

Available On: Theaters

Runtime: 134 minutes

User Rating:

Opening:

The Mummy has been part of the monster collective consciousness almost since the discovery of the old mummy pharaohs in Egypt, and so started the fascination with how this culture dealt with death, and could it be possible that they knew more about the afterlife than us? It was all pretty compelling, and so Hollywood, as it always does, went in there for inspiration, but time has passed, and with it the mummy figure has transformed in many ways, with some stories even seeing it as the hero, but for Lee Cronin’s new interpretation, the horror is still there.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Movie Review: Script Analysis

The moment I saw the title of the film as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy something really felt wrong with it, because although I do respect the work of Cronin as a director, especially after what he did with Evil Dead, I started to consider him a solid filmmaker, but not one that would put his own name on a film’s title. That feels reserved for the masters of the craft, and yet, while I don’t think the film really amounts to putting one’s own name in the title, it is still good enough to be proud of it.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy tells the story of Charlie and Larissa Cannon, who see their daughter disappear, only to see her come back in a terrible and frightening way. The premise itself sounds very familiar, and while watching the film, there is really very little that points to this being a mummy film, feeling more like vibing in the exorcism subgenre. The film understands this and tries to trap the audience in just figuring out what the hell is happening.

And that is how it goes for much of the film, and Cronin understands he needs to build it up as much as he can to make it compelling, not just another scary film that could be forgotten the moment the credits roll. He is successful to a fault because the buildup might end up being bigger than the payoff, and that will surely hurt many people’s enjoyment of the film, which is sad, but it is just what happens when the story promises so much.

Nevertheless, the mileage will vary depending on the audience, and for some, the ending will be good enough, but I think it will definitely be a splitting factor for the film. Personally, I think it worked well enough. Did I wish it were better? Sure, but Cronin’s effort is evident from beginning to end; maybe a bit more polish and a bit more balance in the setup and payoff could have made the ending land a bit better.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Movie Review: Star Performance

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy has a fantastic cast, and while none of these actors are household names, they are known well enough not to make this film like a cheap direct-to-video film. Jack Reynor, in particular, does a lot for me; I have always thought he is quite talented but has never really found that project that would make him a fan favorite. Here, he shines as the heroic father of a broken family who will do anything to save his daughter.

The same goes for Laia Costa, whom I remember fondly from her work in Victoria, and here she is a very welcome presence, but these two actors are outshone by young Natalie Grace, who is asked to do some pretty intense scenes, and she definitely enhances that sense of intensity throughout the film, making it what it is.