Lee Cronin’s The Mummy review by Bobby Blakey
Over the years there has been a wide variety of films taking on the concept of the mummy in some form. Director Lee Cronin did a kick ass job with his previous outing Evil Dead Rise so when I heard he was doing a mummy film I was instantly intrigued, but also cautious. The new take on the idea stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, and Veronica Falcón. Could this be a worthy entry into the classic monster genre or should the sarcophagus have stayed buried?
The Mummy follows the young daughter of a journalist who disappears into the desert without a trace. Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.
Heading into this I had a vision of what it was going to try and do, and it went in a completely different direction in a great way. The film fuses the mummy lore with some elements of the Exorcist and Evil Dead to create something that feels familiar and fresh all at once. I loved this flick in all its glory insanity and the overall direction it ultimately goes.
The story wastes little time getting right into the craziness letting you know it is not holding anything back. From there it slows the pace down in a good way to allow the story and tension to build as things take a turn and lead down a dark path. They let us spend some time with the family before and after Katie goes missing to get a sense of where everything is which helps the narrative work better once, she is back in their lives.
Like most films like this you will find yourself yelling at the screen at times about some decisions and letting this all continue, but the time frame and circumstances help to make it more understandable. They also do a great job to either explaining
or making it make sense as the film progresses so that you find the idea still working despite the insanity unfolding. They let the blood and goo glow with the gore and body fluids in some fun ways that will no doubt keep the horror fans happy.
The cast are all great, but the real standout is Natalie Grace as Katie. She gives a predominantly physical performance for most of her screen time, and it is outstanding. It had to be exhausting to get into that headspace and distort herself in so many ways and I am not even referring to the strange body twists, but things like her wrists and spine angles. If she doesn’t bring the disturbing presence, then the film doesn’t work and she is amazing.
The lore it builds for the explanation works well and never felt rehashed despite it being familiar on both sides. The ending of the film initially was mildly predictable, but then it takes a great twist that brings it all full circle to give the audience and the characters the satisfying closure from everything we all went through.
I really loved this flick and hope it gets the audience it truly deserves. It has the story idea that could even bring more stories, but I hope this one stays as a one and done and let it be the greatness that it is.
Decide for yourself and check out Lee Cronin’s The Mummy in theaters now from New Line Cinema.