This Long-Awaited Monster Revival Digs Its Own Grave With a Pathetic 47% on RT

Of all the classic monsters, the Mummy seems to have fared the worst. In our dark and crisis-ridden times, Frankenstein and Dracula are making a comeback, and culture is once again looking back to Victorian Gothic and Romanticism.

Meanwhile, the Mummy – a legend of resurrection and pyramids – has been relegated to the realm of dull explorations of Eastern antiquities. Incidentally, filmmakers are no different from treasure hunters.

They remain drawn to Egypt, a place known for its curses and even the failure of the 2017 Tom Cruise reboot didn't stop studios from trying again.

What Is 'Lee Cronin's The Mummy' About?

Television journalist Charlie and his pregnant wife, Larissa, lose their daughter, Katie, in Cairo. Eight years later, she is found in a sealed coffin. The girl is sickly and prone to seizures, and she is completely unlike herself.

She is transported from Egypt to America, where she receives careful care. However, the family is unaware of the most important thing: during the abduction, a terrifying demon was implanted within the girl.

Despite His Success With 'Evil Dead', Lee Cronin Turned Out to Be the Wrong Director to Revive 'The Mummy'

Lee Cronin attracted attention with Evil Dead Rise – the movie turned out to be nauseating and obscure, taking the best from Sam Raimi's work. It was grungy yet, ironically, family-friendly.

Admittedly, it's perhaps a bit early to talk about a fully formed directorial style after just two films – there was also the horror movie The Hole in the Ground.

Nevertheless, New Line Cinema and Blumhouse weren't shy about marketing The Mummy as Cronin's signature project, exuding confidence bordering on arrogance. Lee Cronin's The Mummy, the opening title card boldly proclaims – that, it must be said, is presumptuous.

The Mummy is completely unlike any previous version, whether the entertaining and nostalgic one starring Brendan Fraser or the Hammer production.

However, that's not a compliment, it seems as if Cronin wasn't warned that he's making The Mummy, not Evil Dead or a reboot of The Exorcist. Other than the title, there's almost nothing here that resembles a tomb raider horror film.

In 'Lee Cronin's The Mummy', The Timing and Atmosphere Are Both Off

The plot of the first hour, in which a married couple is preoccupied with their daughter's disappearance, is the longest and most tedious prologue in history. The worried father, played by the star of Midsommar, makes us long for cartoonish archaeologists.

Demonic girls and grandmothers scurry around the house while viewers hope to spot a camel or pyramid.

The director has certainly excelled in the art of the disgusting. Demonic things are afoot: spells are whispered, someone constantly vomits a terrifying, swamp-like liquid, and meat scraps fly everywhere.

It's unclear why The Mummy needed to be remade, and frankly, the remake is mediocre: the movie confronts the viewer with banalities head-on. Oozing fluids and an uncontrollable, corrupted body – nothing special; girls possessed by evil forces are even less impressive.

The mystical East is barely represented – most of the time, we're stuck watching a house with attics, basements, and staircases.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Lee Cronin's The Mummy'?

• Lee Cronin's The Mummy has 47% from critics and 74% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.4/10.

• On Letterboxd, Lee Cronin's The Mummy scored 2.7/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Lee Cronin's The Mummy'?

Lee Cronin's The Mummy is currently playing in theaters.