GET READY TO MEET YOUR MUMMY!!!!
This ain’t your mommy’s Mummy! In The Mummy, Charlie (Jack Reynor), a tv news reporter, is on assignment in Egypt. He brings his wife Larissa (Laia Costa), young son Sebastian, and nine year old daughter Katie (Emily Mitchell) along for the trip. While there, Katie is kidnapped, leaving her family bereft. Eight years later, Katie still hasn’t been found. Charlie is now a tv news producer, and is back at his home in New Mexico. His family and him have picked up the pieces as best they can, but things still aren’t the same.
When a plane crashes in Egypt, a sarcophagus is discovered with Katie (Natalia Grace) inside. When notified, Charlie and Larissa bring Katie back home, but find she is a shade of her former self. As the days trek on, Katie begins to display disturbing behavior as it slowly becomes clear something is not right. Charlie investigates with the help of Egyptian detective Dalia Zaki (May Calamawy), and discovers that his entire family is in grave danger.
The Mummy is the latest from director Lee Cronin, who penns the screenplay as well. He previously directed Evil Dead Rise and it would his appear his time working on that film inspired him to make The Mummy. Evil Dead’s fingerprints are all over this movie. Luckily, this isn’t exactly Evil Dead as there is a strong, engaging, and very cool mystery at the heart of this flick. While this is definitely a horror film, most of the runtime is devoted to unraveling the mystery of what happened to Katie. It’s a nice, different turn from what most are likely expecting. The occasional comedic parts are unexpected and always funny as well.
Those coming to see Katie wreck poop might be disappointed. She absolutely gets down to some nefarious deeds on occasion, but for most of the movie she is in a semi-catatonic state. Natalia Grace does a fine job as Katie, but isn’t as impressive as previous Mummys. She’s freaky and scary, but doesn’t fully command the screen until the third act.
May Calamawy is likable and engaging as Detective Dalia Zaki, who becomes invested in the mystery and digs deep while in Egypt to see what answers she can find. The stand-out is Jack Reynor as Charlie. He is superb as the grieving husband/father-turned-sleuth. Charlie is one of the first to notice that something is very wrong with Katie, and It’s a lot of fun to follow him on his quest for answers. Reynor is a likable yet flawed protagonist and he manages to show a great depth of emotion throughout, competently and confidentially leading the proceedings. This is easily one of his best roles to date.
The remainder of the cast do solid work. Shylo Molina as teenager Sebastian is entertaining. He gets a decent amount of screen time but shines most during the third-act climax. Veronica Falcon as Carmen, the religious grandmother, adds a bit of flavor to the film. Billie Roy as daughter Maude is lovable, funny, and appropriately freaky when she needs to be. She is the stand-out of the child actors. Laia Costa as Larissa is fairly frustrating for most of the first act as she hurls accusations at Charlie and is blinded by her love for the mummified Katie, so much so that she is unable to see the truth of the situation and the dangers right in front of her. Luckily, she gets better in the second act. Laia remains relatable and sympathetic throughout.
The cinematography by David Garnett is superb and inventive. It does lean heavily on split-diopter shots, which help to give this film its own unique visual identity. It’s nice to see old-school camera tricks utilized to such a degree here. The entire movie is beautiful to look at and is easily the best shot film of 2026 thus far. The score by Stephen McKeon is superb and striking. It adds to the terror and tension found within the film and is very impressive. It’s definitely worth a listen to on its own.
There is a lot of talk going around about how mean and brutal The Mummy is. While this talk is exaggerated to an extent, I am pleased to report that this is indeed a very mean, very gory, very gross, and incredibly disturbing film. It’s about on the same level of Evil Dead Rise when it comes to that kind of thing. Gore hounds and fans of the icky should leave satisfied.
The Mummy plays like Evil Dead Rise mixed with The Mummy franchise with a heavy emphasis on mystery throughout. This is unlike any Mummy movie you’ve seen before. Some will undoubtedly be upset by the Evil Dead vibes this flick is saturated with, but that doesnt’t change the fact that this is a very strong and solid film. At the end of the day, this is a movie about a father’s undying love for his daughter. The Mummy successfully raises The Mummy franchise from the dead, revitalizing and reinvigorating it in the process. It’s the best horror film of 2026 (so far).
4.5 STARS