Director Lee Cronin successfully revived the notoriously brutal Evil Dead franchise in the most horrific fashion with Evil Dead Rise. This is significant praise, as revitalizing such a foundational horror narrative is a challenge many films have attempted. Cronin proved he was a director worth following with his 2023 hit, and with his new project, he aims to demonstrate he can creatively reinterpret a similar story again.
While enthusiasts of Universal’s original Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz Mummy series must wait several more years for , Lee Cronin’s The Mummy could serve as a satisfying interim film. However, this new version is developing into something entirely different from adventurous tomb-raiding, instead taking well-known imagery and warping it into a much darker form.
The plot of Cronin’s Mummy utilizes a classic horror premise: “What if a family member returned, but was no longer the same?” This is the dilemma facing a journalist (Jack Reynor) and his wife (Laia Costa) when their eldest daughter, Katie (Natalie Grace), comes back after being missing for eight years. While officials believed she was kidnapped in the desert, glimpses of her disappearance in the new trailer suggest a paranormal abduction.
Katie was discovered mummified in a crypt alongside 56 other missing people, emerging as the only survivor of a horrific ceremony. Her rescuers insist she is alive, but her ashen, flaking skin, twisted nails, and eerie behavior suggest something else. As her family attempts to help her recover, it grows more apparent that their original Katie is gone. The entity that has taken her place is ready to cause chaos—but the question remains whether it will offer anything fresh to the Mummy legacy or the possession genre.
Given that The Mummy 4 is in development, Cronin’s film may seem somewhat unnecessary. Although not related to the Universal franchise, it represents a third effort to resurrect the Mummy theme. This could create some audience confusion, compounded by the film’s similarity to Cronin’s previous work. Nevertheless, another exploration of the themes he handled so effectively in Evil Dead Rise isn’t inherently negative. A skillfully crafted, genuinely frightening horror film is always appreciated, provided Cronin introduces some innovation to the concept.