Rest assured, this is not a sequel, remake, reboot or spin-off, and is not (yet) part of any franchise. Nor does it feature a story similar to any other movie with the same title. It just happens to be called The Mummy because mummification lays the foundation for the narrative that follows.
Oops…make that Lee Cronin’s The Mummy. I didn’t realize the director was already enough of a brand to justify his name in the title (you know, like John Carpenter used to). On the other hand, Cronin did crank out a banger of an Evil Dead sequel a few years back, so in horror circles, it’s a good indication that this ain’t your daddy’s Mummy. In fact, it’s ultimately more of a demonic possession movie than a creature feature…and a pretty damn good one.
As the story opens, TV reporter Charlie Cannon (Jack Reynor) and his wife, Larissa (Laia Costa), are living in Cairo with their two kids (and a third on the way). One afternoon, their daughter, Katie is abducted from the backyard by a mysterious woman and vanishes without a trace. A local police investigation, led by Detective Dalia Zaki (May Calamawy), has no leads.
Eight years later, the Cannons are living in Albuquerque with Larissa's mother when they receive a call from Dalia: Katie’s been found alive, wrapped and sealed in a sarcophagus. However, she’s quasi-catatonic and physically gaunt…almost grotesque (it’s a hell of a make-up job). On doctors’ advice, they bring Katie back home, where Larissa plans to nurse her back to health. Meanwhile, Charlie becomes obsessed with knowing exactly what happened to her, especially when Katie’s behavior grows increasingly monstrous.
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| Some people just aren't cut-out for Twister. |
Of course, we already knew Katie was possessed the minute she woke up. But why and how is something that unfolds throughout the story. Meanwhile, Katie wreaks havoc on the household in a plethora of nasty ways, which Cronin is more-than-happy to present in gruesome, gross detail. We get eye trauma, head trauma, teeth trauma, bone trauma, toenail trauma, skin trauma, bug trauma…the things that make us wince and go “eew!” People are stabbed, bitten, impaled, devoured, disemboweled, bludgeoned and swallow nasty things. It’s all depicted with excellent make-up effects, most of which appears to have been done without much CGI.
But Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is a bit more than just a freak show. While the brutal gore is certainly front and center, the story itself is actually pretty interesting and the overall tone is dark and serious (with a lot of the most horrific things happening to children). It’s kind of the antithesis of those Mummy movies that were largely driven by action. The characters are also pretty well realized, and I like the way Cronin shows how this demon’s presence impacts the family dynamic, particularly Charlie and Larissa’s relationship. Their growing estrangement is nearly as concerning as Katie’s possession.
Running over 130 minutes, the film’s a little too long, and there are a few moments where we need to suspend our disbelief, such as how fast these characters bounce back from increasingly terrifying incidents like they were minor skirmishes. But other than that, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is a gory good time, especially for Evil Dead fans. So I guess he did earn his name above the title.
EXTRA KIBBLES
FEATURETTES - The Making of Lee Cronin’s The Mummy features director & cast interviews; A Bloody and Grotesque Spectacle is, of course, about the grisly effects; Producing Possession and Ancient Demons delves into Egyptian lore that inspired the film.
AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer-director Lee Cronin.
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