As Brendan Fraser prepares for his long-awaited return to his action franchise, a very different kind of Mummy film is about to hit theaters. Lee Cronin’s The Mummy sees the iconic monster property return to its horror roots, from the same creative mind behind the Evil Dead Rise. According to early reactions from critics, it more than lives up to the hype, as Cronin doubles down on his penchant for infusing “squirm-inducing” thrills.
Ahead of the film’s release next week on Apr. 17, the first reactions to Lee Cronin’s The Mummy have made their way online. The consensus seems to be an unrelenting horror triumph, with Brandon Davis calling it “the most f***ed up movie” that they have ever seen in theaters. The film, totally disconnected from previous interpretations of the monster, serves up “scream-worthy” scares that some have compared to a blend of Bring Her Back and The Omen. It’s safe to say that The Mummy won’t be for the faint of heart, especially those not accustomed to gore-heavy horror offerings.
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy follows a pair of journalists whose daughter, Katie (Natalie Grace), mysteriously returns to life after disappearing in the desert eight years prior. Well, by “to life” we mean back as an incredibly creepy mummy who begins to terrorize her family. Natalie Grace has been described as the “MVP” of the film, bringing a “Linda Blair-inspired” performance to the table, per Courtney Howard. Check out some of the reactions below:
As teased in the trailers, audiences are in for a truly unsettling ride that hinges on a revelatory turn by its lead star. Lee Cronin’s The Mummy has been explicitly described by the creative team as “a really scary mummy movie” that hearkens back to the horror days of the property. The past few decades saw the franchise lean into action in the Brendan Fraser-led films, which did bring in box office numbers and a cult following. Then, a failed reboot in 2017 starring Tom Cruise from Universal Pictures did some damage to the iconic monster. It took nearly 10 years before another studio took a crack at it, but it seems Warner Bros. has found a way to bring The Mummy to modern audiences.
Of course, until full reviews are out, the final verdict on The Mummy won’t be known until next week. However, it is a promising sign that a variety of critics are already praising the hard-hitting horror thriller. After directing Evil Dead Rise, Lee Cronin is not known for holding back on gore and violence, something that he seems to primarily focus on in The Mummy. That could be a recipe for a polarizing film if not executed well, but all signs point to a Bring Her Back-esque reception, which bodes well for its chances to win over horror-centric audiences.
Release Date
April 17, 2026
Runtime
136 Minutes
Director
Lee Cronin