MOVIE REVIEW: “LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY” (R)
Grade: C

For horror fans out there miffed at the very idea that Lee Cronin has somehow earned the right to put his name above the title of his latest project (something generally reserved for horror icons like John Carpenter and Wes Craven) even though he only has a couple of features to his credit (“The Hole in the Ground,” “Evil Dead Rise”), just know that this is the least of this movie’s problems. Also, let it be known that this wasn’t done out of arrogance. It’s been reported that producer Jason Blum made the suggestion to put Cronin’s name atop the title as to not confuse casual moviegoers. The last thing the team behind this gore-fest want is folks walking in thinking that this is a new entry in the Brendan Fraser “Mummy” franchise which this film most certainly is not. Fear not, though, as it’s looking like we’ll be seeing a new installment in that particular series sometime in 2027. As for “Lee Cronin’s latest, it’s an entirely different beast and in the end, it’s barely a “Mummy” movie at all. I mean, I’m all for liberties being taken in a modern reimagining of a familiar property but honestly, if you’re going to stray this far, maybe just call it something else.

In this blood-soaked take on “The Mummy,” journalist Charlie Cannon (Jack Reynor) and his loving wife Larissa (Laia Costa) relocate the family to Egypt for Charlie’s latest job and ultimately, they are plunged into every parent’s worst nightmare after their young daughter Katie (Emily Mitchell) goes missing. Shortly after the disappearance, the Cannon family, which includes Katie’s siblings Maude (Billie Roy) and Sebastian (Shylo Molina), do what they can to pick up the emotional pieces.

Cut to; 8 long years later. The Cannon family now reside in New Mexico, and they get the shock of their lives after receiving a call from the authorities informing them that Katie has been found but as the Cannon family quickly discover, she is not at all herself.  But then, I suppose spending an extended period of time trapped in a sarcophagus would have a strange effect on a person. 

Upon watching this film, one might speculate that Cronin approached the powers that be about doing a follow up to his own “Evil Dead Rise” but after getting turned down, he couldn’t take no for an answer, so he just opted to do a sort of repurposed version of “The Mummy” instead.  And that’s pretty much what this movie plays like; A fusion of “Evil Dead’ and “The Exorcist” with a little “Hereditary,” “The Omen,” and “Poltergeist” thrown in for good measure.

When it comes to bringing the gore factor, Cronin ain’t no slouch. Those with a pure love for carnage candy will find plenty to grasp on to here. That said, this take on “The Mummy” is dour, ugly, brutal, and often unpleasant and even though Cronin is perfectly adept at crafting the proceedings, it does get to a point where the movie feels like it’s simply more interested in making us squirm than anything else.

Of the performances here, Laia Costa has some nice moments as a mom who tries to convince herself that there’s nothing wrong with her daughter but Reynor (an actor I’ve suggested for quite some time would make the perfect James Bond) spends the majority of the film looking at the strange happenings around him in bug-eyed fashion. The standout of the cast is Natalie Grace whose work as the older version of Katie is fittingly terrifying.

As was the case with Leigh Whannell’s disappointing adaptation of “Wolf Man,” “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” does attempt to say something about one’s fear of not being able to protect their children but here, it’s a somewhat meager attempt because any such subtext is all but buried in an endless sea of ick. This is to say nothing of a handful of plot points that are either underexplained or make very little to no sense. Take, for instance, the medical profession as presented in this film. These so-called professionals are pretty quick to send Katie home even though there’s clearly something wrong with her. Also, where exactly was this girl for the last 8 years? “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” treats this aspect of the proceedings as an inconvenient afterthought.

Again, there’s very little here that feels like “The Mummy.” Yes, there’s a sarcophagus and an Egyptian locale, but these things feel shoehorned in. Beyond that, for all of Cronin’s abilities when it comes to crafting fittingly shocking set pieces and skillfully working with a barrage of creative practical effects, his take on a property made famous by a decades-old classic Universal monster movie starring Boris Karloff feels pretty darn deadite-heavy by comparison. What’s more, with a runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes, it all feels awfully long-winded for a film of this nature. At the end of the day, while this isn’t a bad film (for all its flaws, it’s more effective than the 2017 Tom Cruise headlined-take), what “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” is most successful at doing is reminding us of a handful of better horror movies.

Oh yes, aliens can do that

Touch Me stars Olivia Taylor Dudley (She Dies Tomorrow) and Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black) as best friends and roommates, Joey and Craig. When we meet these two characters, their lives are messy, and they are addicted to any drug that will enable them to forget reality.

As a result, things go bad fast when they meet the alien narcissist, Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci), who has a heroin-like touch. It’s impossible not to get addicted to the feeling, and they move in with Brian in his remote home.

There is, however, a problem with Brian, as he may be planning to take over the world. As such, the two friends need to wake up from their feel-good rush to save humanity.

Alongside the three actors already mentioned (all of whom are truly brilliant in this), we also have a few more in the cast worth mentioning. Especially Paget Brewster and Marlene Forte (Knives Out, Fear the Walking Dead), who both portray key characters.

In a hearing about competing protective order filings from reality TV star Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, a Utah judge granted Thursday that both orders go into effect, though he delayed making a decision on a custody arrangement.

The orders, which were issued by third district court commissioner Russell Minas, are in place for three years and require Paul and Mortensen to stay at least 100 feet away from each other. He also warned that they both could be subjected to criminal charges if there’s a violation of the orders.

“I do think it’s important that there be mutual orders,” Minas said. “I am just concerned that if I don’t order both of them to stay away from each other, there’s going to be some additional problems.”

Addressing Paul and Mortensen, Minas said: “I’m hoping that you’re not people who just thrive on the drama and the conflict … I do want to work with both of you to try to restore some sense of normalcy. I just think right now, you two need to stay away from each other and there needs to be orders that will result in consequences if you attempt to try to engage each other because I still think you have this attraction to each other, physical or otherwise.”

“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star, 31, and Mortensen, 33, both appeared in Utah court for the hearing, which was livestreamed, the first time they’ve been seen in the same room together since news broke last month that they were involved in domestic violence investigations involving multiple allegations.

In the weeks leading up to the ruling, the judge had granted Mortensen custody of their son, with up to eight hours per week of supervised visitation for Paul, known as one of the stars of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” That arrangement will stay in place until the judge offers his recommendation on parent time on or before May 11.

A review hearing is set for June, once mental health and domestic violence assessments of Paul and Mortensen ordered as part of the safety plan by child protective services have been completed and processed.

Paul’s attorney, Eric M. Swinyard, described the hearing as a “significant step forward.”

“Taylor was incredibly candid with the Court that she is not perfect and owned her faults,” read part of his statement. “She looks forward to continuing to cooperate with the Court to make progress in the custody case.”

The Times also reached out to Mortensen for comment.

Paul and Mortensen had been under investigation by both the Draper City Police Department and West Jordan Police Department regarding a series of allegations each made that the other had acted violently during altercations in February, as well as an incident that took place in 2024. After the February allegations made headlines, a video of Paul in 2023 that led to her arrest was leaked; it showed the reality star throwing bar stools at Mortensen while her daughter was present. (Paul pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault following that incident and her probation in that case will be up in August.) Amid the investigation, Mortensen and Paul filed competing protective orders against each other.

The Salt Lake County district attorney’s office and the Draper City prosecutor both declined to file charges against Paul in April, citing insufficient evidence to prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.

The situation between the embattled exes also resulted in the pausing of filming of “Mormon Wives” Season 5. The show has documented the pair’s tumultuous relationship since it’s launch in 2024. It also led to the shelving of Season 22 of ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” which featured Paul as its heroine.

But Thursday’s ruling on the orders comes a week after reports surfaced that “Mormon Wives” has resumed production on its fifth season, without Paul and Mortensen’s involvement — though, Paul reportedly has the option to return. The fate of the unaired season of “The Bachelorette” remains unclear.

Alexandra Del Rosario contributed reporting.