The Mummy (Lee Cronin) 2026 Summary and Review - A Familiar Legend Becomes Something Darker

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The Mummy is a wild and winning blend of possession horror and adventure, with a good chunk of sensationalist gore. Don’t expect anything resembling the Boris Karloff classic or the Brendan Fraser-era swashbuckler - this is something else entirely. Director Lee Cronin takes a familiar framework and reworks it into something darker, stranger, and very much his own.

Katie Vanishes

Charlie and Laurie Cannon are raising their children in Cairo when their daughter Katie vanishes from their home. The police are called, and a young officer, Zaki, is assigned to investigate. Keen to make an impression on her first case, she is overruled by a dismissive superior officer, who throws suspicion on the parents, and the investigation falters.

Eight years later, the Cannons are back in the United States, trying to maintain as normal a life as possible, but are deeply scarred and still haunted by the loss of Katie. Until a phone call changes everything.

Unnatural Aging

Katie is found alive, inexplicably, inside an ancient sarcophagus. Her parents rush to Egypt to bring her home but find a very different and disturbing version of their beloved child. She has aged, but not naturally; her body seems desiccated, her presence deeply unsettling, and they are warned that her behaviour is erratic and volatile.

Back home in New Mexico, hope quickly gives way to dread. Katie’s violent outbursts signal that whatever has returned is not entirely their daughter. As her strength grows, so too does her menace, and Charlie and Laurie start to wonder if they have the resources to deal with her. This continues until Charlie stumbles upon remnants of disintegrating fabric inscribed with an ancient language. He seeks esoteric help to translate the text, and his search for answers reconnects him with Zaki, now a detective who has matured into a wiser and more determined officer. Together, they begin to unravel the truth behind Katie’s condition, even as events spiral further out of control.

One Hell of a Ride

The Mummy is one hell of a ride. Cronin’s direction carries his signature style developed in Evil Dead Rise, particularly in the visceral physicality of the horror - unnatural movements, wince-inducing sound design, and a pervasive sense of something deeply wrong. While the film builds gradually, the later stages unleash a barrage of gore and chaos, reminiscent of the anarchic tone of Braindead. On that note, there is an unexpected vein of sharp one-liner humour running throughout, but The Mummy succeeds where others didn’t and doesn’t lose sight of its identity as a horror film - the comedy works as a counterpoint, not a distraction.

The film leans into a more traditional storytelling style, reminiscent of 1980s and 90s horror. Key events are shown rather than relayed as information from a third party, contributing to a runtime that stretches beyond two hours, yet it rarely feels padded, with a narrative packed with attention-grabbing set pieces. Even though there are a number of influences present, it all meshes together evenly, blending into something cohesive and engaging rather than looking like a clumsy mash-up.

Superb Cinematography

Visually, the cinematography is superb. Rich, earthy tones and a tactile sense of age give the film an ancient, weathered aesthetic. It’s no coincidence that the story starts in Egypt and ends in New Mexico - both desert settings - reinforcing the theme of ancient power embedded in an unforgiving landscape.

The fine performances weight the film effectively, particularly Natalie Grace as Katie, who shifts convincingly from a sweet child in early scenes to something far more disturbing. It’s through Katie that Cronin finds time to remind us that, at the heart of this, is the use of a child in an unspeakably cruel fashion, delivering an unexpected emotional jolt.

The Mummy doesn’t aim for jump scares so much as sustained unease that still manages to get the pulse rate going. Dark, unsettling, and steeped in body horror, it won’t leave you alone. There are graphic moments that feel unnecessary, but they’re quickly overshadowed by the film’s momentum, leaving me with the sense that I was in the hands of a filmmaker who thought the audience deserved the best. It’s an unashamedly entertaining cinematic experience - so leave your disbelief and logic at the door and go along for the ride.

★★★★☆

Character & Production Details

Charlie Cannon: Jack Reynor
Larissa Cannon: Laia Costa
Katie Cannon: Natalie Grace
Detective Dalia Zaki: May Calamawy
Carmen Santiago: Verónica Falcón
Sebastián Cannon: Shylo Molina
Maud Cannon: Billie Roy
The Magician: Hayat Kamille
Layla Khalil: May Elghety

Writer: Lee Cronin
Director: Lee Cronin
Year of Release: 2026
Runtime: 134 minutes




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