‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ is less passion project than embalming by committee

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So, how’s Lee Cronin? He’s doing well, still directing films. This is actually his third feature. Someone – likely not Lee himself – made a point of emphasizing that his new movie, simply titled “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” isn’t your typical mummy movie. Forget the bandaged corpses, ancient symbols, and even Brendan Fraser. This is a completely different take on the story – it’s “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy.”

We’re still trying to understand what Cronin’s involvement really signifies. His last film was “Evil Dead Rise,” which largely followed the path set by Fede Alvarez’s 2013 remake of Sam Raimi’s classic horror comedies. At a time when horror is thriving and even gaining critical acclaim (like with the Oscar-winning “Witch”), Lee Cronin feels like a reliable, traditional filmmaker who delivers a standard, if unremarkable, horror experience.

There are far more serious problems in the world, but sometimes a good way to start a story about an ancient Egyptian curse is with a chilling opening, much like the beginning of “The Exorcist.” We see a mysterious, smiling woman seemingly calling out to a little girl in her garden, and soon after, the girl vanishes. Eight years later, her American family – TV reporter Charlie, his grieving wife Larissa, and their two somewhat moody children, Maud and Sebastián – have moved to suburban New Mexico, still deeply affected by the loss.

When their daughter Katie (played convincingly by Natalie Grace) mysteriously returns, looking shockingly frail with severely wrinkled skin and overgrown nails, it’s understandable why her parents are overjoyed. Despite some significant plot gaps – a doctor’s input would have been helpful – writer-director Cronin quickly focuses on the unsettling reality of having her back home, where a sinister presence lingers in her bedroom, creating a deeply uncomfortable and claustrophobic atmosphere.

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Lee Cronin’s ‘The Mummy’ feels most effective when compared to Ari Aster’s ‘Hereditary,’ offering a smoother, less intensely disturbing experience. Grace’s character, Katie, displays unsettling traits – like clicking her jaw and staring off into space – echoing Milly Shapiro’s captivating performance as a possessed individual. As the film progresses, the scares become more conventional, featuring elements like a floating wheelchair and creatures crawling on the ceiling. Cronin clearly enjoys showcasing graphic violence, with scenes of Katie’s skin tearing away and even self-harm involving her teeth.

The film has plenty of moments that will likely elicit groans from viewers, but it’s still a fun bad movie experience – as long as the story doesn’t keep cutting away to a weak subplot in Egypt. This side story follows a flat character, a Cairo detective (May Calamawy), trying to solve the core problem. It’s frustrating to introduce an interesting, charismatic archaeology professor (Mark Mitchinson) and then only use him in one brief scene, especially since he seems like the type of character who would normally play a crucial role at the end.

This movie feels cluttered with too many influences. It tries to be a scary possession story, but also includes shaky, found-footage elements similar to films like “The Ring” and “Bring Her Back,” complete with the predictable vomiting scenes. Surprisingly, a classic mummy movie, steeped in the excitement surrounding ancient Egypt – like the 1932 film released during the King Tut craze – actually feels relevant today, as America becomes increasingly involved in conflicts in foreign lands.

Was that something he was thinking about? You’d need to ask Lee Cronin, as this is his film and deals with his personal struggles.

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2026-04-17 21:01