The plot is centred around the Cannon family, headed up by Charlie (Jack Reynor of Midsommar fame) and Larissa (Laia Costa) who, following the disappearance of their daughter Katie eight years ago on a trip to Cairo, remain very much haunted by the loss. When the family receive a call from the Egyptian authorities informing them Katie has been found, the family can hardly believe their luck - but when she is returned to their home in Albuquerque and horror quickly begins to ensue, it becomes apparent that there was a reason why Katie wasn’t meant to be found.
...the film’s distinction as a Mummy film can get a little lost at times...
As was the case with Evil Dead Rise, family is at the heart of this film and Reynor and Costa do a great job through their performances of charting some very heavy emotional beats as they reckon with the abuse and loss of their child, even after she has been found. Natalie Grace offers a deeply impressive and unsettling performance as Katie in her possessed state whilst May Calamawy does the heavy lifting of keeping the film linked to its original Egyptian setting as Detective Zaki, the officer continuing to investigate Katie’s original disappearance in Cairo. That being said, the film’s distinction as a Mummy film can get a little lost at times, instead feeling more like a fusion of the Evil Dead franchise’s signature gore with the haunted family dynamic as seen in the Conjuring franchise and Exorcist-style depictions of child possession.
However, that is not to say Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is without its original moments. There are some truly impressive moments of gore and body horror in this film, with particular scenes featuring toe nail clipping, flaying and yanked-out teeth that are so disgusting, they had me pushing away my popcorn out of pure queasiness. The film isn’t huge on jumpscares, though it’s not without its moments of build-up and tension, but what it lacks in the slow-burn department, it makes up for through ambitious set pieces and standout horror performances.
The film has a run-time of over two hours and whilst it didn’t necessarily drag, there were certain sequences that could’ve been shortened or even cut entirely without killing too much the tension for the sake of tightening up the narrative structure. There is also some noticeable moments of repetition from Evil Dead Rise in terms of plot devices (i.e. possessed relative lures in family member through behind a closed door by pretending to be innocent, ancient lore being delivered through a pre-recorded message, etc.) but this didn’t stop the horror moments from remaining effective.
Overall, I’d say The Mummy is one of the strongest horrors of the year so far, with a lot of entertainment to be gleaned from the plot, even amongst the darker moments. It’s not without its imperfections and can feel slightly too formulaic or unoriginal at points but I’m certain fans of the Evil Dead franchise and Lee Cronin’s other work will still get a lot out of this. 3.5 out of 5 stars, then, for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy - a definite recommendation, though perhaps not for those with weaker stomachs!