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It’s not uncommon for critics and audiences to be divided over horror movies. Horror is divisive at its core—it’s not a genre that is inherently meant for everyone, and yet everyone who seeks it out finds something different to enjoy in it. Some people are drawn toward creature features, others are here for paranormal entities, while others want a gore-fest. And in a genre that is so divisive, it’s never a shock when critics and audiences don’t agree on what makes a movie worth watching. And this movie was no exception to that never-ending battle. But if you’re willing to take a chance, it’s now streaming on HBO, where it’s racking up the viewership numbers.
Enter Lee Cronin’s The Mummy. When another version of the age-old horror story was coming to the big screen, people were skeptical. The version that starred Tom Cruise and attempted to inject true terror back into the tale had notoriously flopped, and horror fans, despite seemingly universally enjoying Cronin’s work, didn’t have high hopes. What Cronin ended up releasing had the makings of a genuinely terrifying horror film, centering on the disappearance of a young girl in the desert. After eight years, her family has given up any hope of her return, but return she does—as something that they can hardly recognize as human. And what should be a happy family reunion descends into a nightmare.
Why Did Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Fail with Critics?
With all the hype surrounding this movie as more details about the plot emerged, it seemed it would be one of the rare horror films to unite critics and audiences. But that wasn’t the case—not by a long shot. Critics rated the film a dismal 46%, claiming that while it raised the stakes by placing a child at the center of the terror, it was nothing more than a series of overused tropes and clichés. Critic Graeme Tuckett said, “The Mummy quickly devolves into an Exorcist-based exercise in wringing whatever shocks are still to be found in a possessed-girl-in-the-house scenario that we haven’t all seen a hundred times before.”
But audiences had a more charitable view of the film, believing that it earned the 72% rating that they gave it. While critics were immediately over the rehashing of visuals and story beats, casual viewers felt that it pushed the narrative along just fine. “If you like horror movies, you’ll like this one. I get it’s not for everyone, but it was entertaining. Had a good mix of suspense, killer vibes, and possession. Feel like it was a bit gory unnecessarily, but still a good watch,” said one viewer.
Overall, it seems that Lee Cronin’s The Mummy might just be another semi-forgettable horror movie. But sometimes that’s exactly how you want to kill a few hours.
What are your thoughts on Lee Cronin’s The Mummy? Does it deserve the hate it got from the critics, or did the general audience get it right with their take? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to see what’s going on over at the forum.
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