Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026)
I've seen just about every version of The Mummy that cinema has thrown at the world. The atmospheric eeriness of the Boris Karloff original, the brilliantly goofy, globe-trotting adventures of Brendan Fraser, and yes, even the ill-fated Tom Cruise reboot that nobody asked for and nobody particularly enjoyed. So when Lee Cronin stepped up to take his swing at the bandaged one, I was curious, even cautiously hopeful. Cronin is Irish genre filmmaking talent, and the idea of dragging this particular monster into genuinely dark, bloody territory had some real promise on paper. Two stars later, here we are.
Fair play to him for the ambition, though. Cronin isn't interested in playing it safe or retreading the Fraser formula, and I respect that instinct entirely. The foundational concept, a darker, more visceral reimagining of an iconic monster, is the right call in theory. The problem is that the execution is an absolute narrative shambles. The plot doesn't make sense at times, and I'm not talking about the forgivable, hand-wavy logic of a pulpy monster romp. I mean genuine, jaw-dropping leaps of logic that pull you clean out of the film. At one point, a small child who has been missing for years turns up alive and well inside a sealed, ancient sarcophagus, and the film more or less expects you to accept that the local authorities, not to mention a ravenous world press, would simply let her toddle home without asking a single probing question. It's laughable. The kind of laughable that makes you wonder if anyone gave the script a proper second pass.
The cast aren't doing the film many favours either. The performances are decidedly average and, at times, frankly hammy. There's a theatrical quality to some of the delivery that might work on a stage but feels wildly misjudged when you're watching it on screen. You're constantly aware of people acting, which is about the worst thing you can say.
But here's where I have to be honest about my mixed feelings, because writing this off entirely would be unfair. Where the script and the cast stumble, the technical crew absolutely knocks it out of the park. The horror elements, the gruesome make-up work, and the sheer visceral quality of the special effects are the undisputed stars of the film. Genuinely spectacular stuff. The monstrous practical craftsmanship on display is the only thing stopping this picture from being a total write-off, and it's doing some very heavy lifting indeed. If you're a horror aficionado who can sit back and appreciate that kind of gory, committed artistry, there is real pleasure to be found here, even as the story collapses around it.
It reminded me, in some ways, of the approach Lee Cronin's fellow Irish genre filmmakers have taken with horror in recent years. I thought Evil Dead Rise (2023) pulled off a similar tonal gamble far more successfully, managing to marry that same commitment to practical, gruesome horror with a script that actually held together under pressure. Cronin's Mummy has the gore and the guts but not the narrative discipline to back it all up.
Two stars. It's a messy, over-the-top ride that relies far too heavily on its monstrous make-up to plaster over some glaring plot holes. But if you can switch your brain off and simply appreciate the sheer, bloody craftsmanship on screen, it's a watchable, if frustrating, slice of monster movie madness. One of the weaker entries in the franchise, no question about it. But thanks to some truly stellar effects work, it stops just short of being a wasted opportunity entirely.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 2026 | Watched: 2026-07-06
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