(This movie is rated R, viewer discretion is advised)
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy released in 2026 is a dark, cryptic, and twisted reinterpretation of Universal’s The Mummy released in 1932. Known for his previous interpretation of Evil Dead and Evil Dead Rise, Cronin brings a certain type of fear and eeriness to the mummy story never seen before. The previous adaptation of the story The Mummy (1999) with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz was an action/thriller adaptation to the 1932 horror movie, whereas this new edition to the “franchise” is horror down to the core.
SPOILER WARNING: Lee Cronin’s The Mummy follows the Cannon family with father Charlie (Jack Reynor), mother Larissa (Laia Costa), son Sebastian (Shylo Molina), youngest daughter Maud (Billie Roy) and last but not least eldest daughter Katie (Natalie Grace). The story starts out in Cairo, Egypt with the family previously mentioned (Minus Maud who will be born later in the story). Suddenly, Katie is taken without a trace by, who the story calls “The Magician”, 8 years go by and they hear nothing about Katie’s disappearance but then all of a sudden they get a call from the Cairo police department. Detective Dalia Zaki ( May Calamawy) calls the family about their recently found (Alive) daughter Katie in a 3,000 year old sarcophagus… That’s all I can give you because I want everyone reading this to go into the movie basically blind. Composed by Stephen McKeon, edited by Bryan Shawn, casting by Sarah Lindo and David Garbett as the cinematographer, this crew brings together a certain spooky, spine-chilling essence that encapsulates the film as a whole.
One of the creepiest underlining tones of the movie that not enough people are talking about is the clear grooming and child kidnapping that is a very real thing in the common world. Within the first 10 minutes of the movie “The Magician” kidnaps Katie by bribing her with chocolate candy, not just for that day but for months before it. This is a clear sign of child grooming which is a real issue that people deal with on a day to day basis. No, of course it might not go to the extent of being put into a 3,000 year old sarcophagus for a ritual but child grooming even in a slight variety is not ok.
Another underlining tone of the film is about tragedy and loss. Throughout the story it is shown that even though their daughter’s kidnapping was 8 years ago they still cannot come to the realization that Katie is gone, and if she comes back she won’t be the same child she was when she disappeared. For example, it is shown even before their “daughter” comes back that even in a new house they have a room specifically dedicated to the presumed deceased Katie. So instead of forgetting and moving on they hold on and carry to this idea of their daughter that might not be coming back. But in the end Katie does indeed come back, but she is not the same as when she left, as she’s possessed by the mummy. But the parents don’t care- why? It’s so clear that something is wrong so why keep her around when she’s causing a ruckus throughout the house? Well my theory is that the parents are suffering from Prolonged Grief Disorder, which is a disorder that is caused from the death of a loved one and not using the proper care to get over that loss. Symptoms that the Cannon family show is intense sorrow, detachment, problems accepting the death and many others. And it is not directly stated that the parents took any kind of therapy or proper precautions to deal with trauma together, instead they blame the other parent for the loss. The mother blames the father because he was there at the time of the kidnapping and wasn’t paying close enough eye to her when she got taken. While the father blames the mother because the majority of the time spent in Cairo before they moved back to the United States the mother would stay home with the kids, and Katie was being groomed for most of it under the mother’s “watch”.
Overall this movie is a good representation of the trouble children face around the world with child grooming and overall expectations. But if you just want to turn your brain off and watch a scary mummy ruin a household then this is a perfect movie for that. Congratulations to Lee Cronin. I see a bright future for this director in the future.
Final Rating – ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ /5
