(https://i.imgur.com/YAhpCjl.png)
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 7/14/2026
Rating: R
Film Grade: C
The Story: Charlie and Larissa are living this particular part of their nomadic life in Egypt. As a TV news reporter, Charlie is presented with the opportunity to return to the US as a morning news show cohost. But fate has another say, as their young daughter, Katie, is lured from their yard by a mysterious woman with the offering of an apple. Fraught with panic, Charlie frantically runs through the streets of Cairo, but there are no signs of her.
Eight years later, the family gets a call from authorities; Katie has been found. But she’s in a terrible state and will require extensive care for her to recover from whatever she’s gone through.
My Take: Putting the word mummy in the title brings to mind the Universal classics for some, the Hammer films for others, and another generation will recall the Brendan Fraser franchise. This entry is nothing like any of those. Instead, writer/director Lee Cronin gives us a tale that is much more akin to his previous feature, Evil Dead Rise. It’s a mixture of mystery, family drama, with a heavy dose of supernatural horror.
The movie takes some time setting up the family element of the story, with the interactions between mom, dad, and the kids, both before and after Katie’s abduction. This works to create a connection with the audience, but it’s also part of the reason why things don’t exactly work. It’s so focused on the over-the-top events, that we lose that connection to the family members as more and more fantastical things happen.
The other thing that doesn’t work as well as it could, is the mystery aspect. It starts out promising, with clues around ancient scripts on one end and a police investigation on the other. The problem is that Charlie has contacted an expert on the supernatural side of the equation but never follows up with him for answers. If you’re inhabiting this universe, having witnessed things that can only be attributed to forces beyond your understanding, how could you not reach out to others more knowledgeable than yourself? This is partially resolved by the ending, but without full guidance and with unresolved implications.
It’s the horror elements that stand out the most. There’s gore and grossout features aplenty, like Evil Dead Rise, all in a series of kinetic scenes that are interspersed with the investigative elements. These are intense and harrowing, with a strong visceral feel that’s almost overly oppressive at times.
The movie has a relatively large cast. Jack Reynor and Laia Costa give Charlie and Larissa a solid and stable version of the parents, showing deep care and concern for all of their children. It’s worth pointing out that Reynor’s American accent is flawless, giving no indication of his Irish upbringing. Veronica Falcón adds flavor to the part of Larissa’s mother, which isn’t overly developed in the script. Unexpectedly good are the child actors, who turn in flawless performances in difficult roles.
Helping the cast is the incredible production design and values. Each of the locations have a gritty authenticity to them, helping ground the wild and horrific story. Practical effects are used for much of the movie, with some working better than others. There’s a bird in the opening sequence that looks surprisingly fake. On the other hand, the makeup effects are outstanding, making some of the scenes impossible to watch without grimacing.
Visuals: Cronin again turns to David Garbett for cinematography. While outdoor shots are somewhat soft, the stylized camerawork gives us good blacks with natural colors that lean heavily toward earth tones. The exception here is Katie’s bright pink room that contrasts with her withered condition. As the movie grows more and more bleak, the colors have a sickly yellow/green cast to them enhancing the sense of despair. Even the elaborate food spread looks unpalatable. The film does a wonderful job of capturing all of the gory scenes with a palpable sense of horror, leaving little to one’s imagination. This is a very good-looking movie.
Audio: The Atmos mix does not disappoint. It easily passes my bird test even though there aren’t that many scenes that would call for them. For extra measure, there’s also the buzzing of flying insects in the top speakers. There’s another sequence during a sandstorm where the winds are wildly swirling above. Wides are used for music, sound effects, and occasional voices. Like other recent Atmos titles, there are instances of dialog in the top speakers, evidently to recreate the acoustical space of the scene. There are plenty of instances of discrete sound effects throughout, with some effective creaking, knocking, and crashing. There’s a shot from Katie’s perspective that dulls all of the sounds, giving us insight as to what she’s experiencing. This is a great sounding mix.
The movie opens with a breezy pop tune singalong as a (mostly) happy family drives home after a shopping trip. That light tone doesn’t last long and were soon faced with heavy, long bass notes that seem to hang in the air forever, creating an atmosphere of dread. These are interrupted by harsh brass notes, creating more tension. There’s a particularly effective sequence when musical instruments suddenly stop and restart with distortion and tense strings. It’s an effective score by Stephen McKeon who reunites with Cronin for this entry.
Special Features: The director mentions how thankful he is for physical media and the opportunity to record a commentary track and I applaud that mention. The featurettes and commentaries are well worth listening to for anyone that wants to learn more about how the movie came together.
- The Making of Lee Cronin’s The Mummy: Director Lee Cronin reveals his striking vision for a terrifying new mummy tale of heart and horror. Explore the film’s claustrophobic atmosphere and meticulous filmmaking as it delivers emotion and relentless terror!
- A Bloody and Grotesque Spectacle: Blood, bugs and toenails fuel this inside look at the film’s wild SFX and practical filmmaking magic! Cast and crew also reveal how Natalie Grace transforms into a demon-possessed vessel through intense prosthetics and chilling physicality.
- Possession and Ancient Demons: Explore the story’s Egyptian roots and demonic rituals. Detective Zaki and the family investigate Katie's disappearance as the cast reveals the visceral reality of filming possession and terror while building the film's many unforgettable scenes.
- Deleted Scenes
- Commentary by Writer/Director/Executive Producer Lee Cronin
Final Verdict: Fans of Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise will find a lot of things to love with this new twist on a mummy tale. It wasn’t a match for my tastes, though. With the emphasis on unrelenting misery, and reveling in extreme gore and grotesque, there’s little room left for catharsis. Those ingredients are found in many a horror dish, but it doesn’t work that well for me. It hit my wife the same way and she agreed with the C score.
But, if you liked Evil Dead Rise, you’ll definitely want to check this one out. As a bonus, production values are top-notch. For deeper insight, check out the extras, especially the director’s commentary.
Fun Fact: One of the particularly disturbing and unforgettable parts of the movie involves the use of a toenail clipper. It was inspired by real-life stories the director heard from his sister, who happens to be a chiropodist.
https://youtu.be/XJ0uv-phsDk
This review was written by a human without the use of AI.
My Review System:
JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup