5 Best Movies Like Lee Cronin's The Mummy

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Every generation gets its own mummy movie. Kids growing up in the '90s had "The Mummy" action-adventure series starring Brendan Fraser. But that was more akin to "Indiana Jones" than any traditional horror flick. Lee Cronin has brought the monster back to its roots with his take on the "Mummy" iconography.

Instead of a creature wrapped in linen strips, "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" follows Katie (Natalie Grace), who goes missing. Years later, she's reunited with her family, but something's different. They soon come to learn that Katie's possessed by an ancient spirit, meaning "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" isn't just a monster movie; it's a full-on possession story. 

Before watching "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," it may help to get a quick explainer on the history of mummy movies to see where it borrows influence from. But honestly, the film borrows from a lot more types of horror than just mummies. When looking for more movies like "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," it helps to get creative and the run the gamut of different horror subgenres. 

"Lee Cronin's The Mummy" might have sarcophagi and ancient Egyptian spirits, but it's really about demonic possession at its core. In that regard, it's almost like an "Evil Dead" movie rather than a standard mummy flick. And wouldn't you know it? Director Lee Cronin's previous project was precisely that with 2023's "Evil Dead Rise."

As usual, a horde of Deadites get loose, this time in an unassuming apartment building. Two estranged sisters — Beth (Lily Sullivan) and Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) — reunite as they both have major life news, but the reunion's cut short as the film becomes a fight for survival. Cronin initially envisioned a far more expansive setting for "Evil Dead Rise" but decided to keep it as claustrophobic as possible to increase the tension. It definitely worked, as there are few ways for Beth to escape when she's on the top floor.

Both are horror films with a heavy emphasis on body horror. You'll likely find yourself wincing at least a few times between the two movies. However, a common theme has materialized in Cronin's work as "Evil Dead Rise" and "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" each follow fractured family dynamics. You have families dealing with a loved one becoming corrupted by an outside force and determining the best way forward. It's not as simple as just killing the monster because the monster looks like a daughter or sister. 

Many jokes were shared on social media regarding the wonkiness of the title "Lee Cronin's The Mummy." All due respect to Cronin, but he didn't seem like a director whose name should carry a film title. But clearly, it was done to differentiate it from previous "Mummy" films. Blumhouse even marketed the film with a series of X posts emphatically stating: "BRENDAN FRASER IS NOT IN LEE CRONIN'S THE MUMMY."

That's all well and good, as the horror flick is trying to do its own thing. But if you're looking for something a bit more lighthearted, it's never a bad time to put on Fraser's "Mummy." The movie's an absolute blast, as Rick O'Connell (Fraser) travels to Egypt with the sister-brother duo of Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) and Jonathan (John Hannah) where they awaken Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo). They must put the high priest back to sleep before he unleashes apocalyptic horrors upon Earth.

Sure, there are questionable things in "The Mummy," but it still mostly holds up. And while it may seem like a fun action flick on the surface, rest assured there's ample horror. There's nothing on the same R-rated scale as "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," but flesh-eating scarabs are brought into several scenes to amp up the terror. It actually calls to mind that scorpion scene in "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," so it's clear that no matter what the tone is for a mummy movie, creepy crawlers are a must.

It's every parent's fear to lose a child, making it ripe territory for horror movies to explore. "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" involves a young daughter going missing and coming back as not quite right. And "Bring Her Back" follows a similar trajectory, as Laura (Sally Hawkins) fosters two kids who recently lost their father, all while still mourning her biological daughter's death.

But Andy (Bill Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong) aren't the only kids in the household. Laura is already fostering Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), and there's something very wrong with him, leading to some particularly brutal body horror moments, much like "Lee Cronin's The Mummy." If you don't mind squirming in your seat, then both films offer visceral terror, very much earning their respective R-ratings.

What makes "Bring Her Back" all the more impressive is how it blends truly horrific moments with a deep emotional core. Looper's review of "Bring Her Back" said it was "overwhelmingly bleak and brutal." Many turn to horror films for giddy thrills, but "Bring Her Back" will have you reflecting on your own familial relationships. It's a tough film to watch for more reasons than what would traditionally be considered scary.

When you're talking movies about kids coming back to life, you have to bring up "Pet Sematary." While Katie is kidnapped in "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," "Pet Sematary" involves a child actually dying. Young Gage (Miko Hughes) is hit by a truck, and his father, Louis (Dale Midkiff), buries him in the nearby pet cemetery, which has been proven to have supernatural properties that brings anything buried there back to life. It works, but there's something deeply wrong with Gage after the fact.

Both films show parents who desperately want to be reunited with their children that they're willing to overlook literally anything and everything. The family in "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" forego further medical treatments for Katie, believing it best for her to be home with her family. Even after seeing the cat, Church, act oddly after getting resurrected, Louis still thinks it's a good idea to bring his son back to life. 

Many horror flicks will leave children alone. However, these two movies have no issues tackling the subject matter headfirst. And astonishingly, there are even more disturbing moments from the "Pet Sematary" book left out of the film. 

"Lee Cronin's The Mummy" offers a new take on the mummy mythos. That type of monster has no shortage of films throughout Hollywood history, and after nearly a century of movies, it's nice to see something try to add something unique to what's considered a mummy. In this case, it's an evil spirit rather than an ancient pharaoh or some other form of royalty. When you're looking for something that feels more connected to what's traditionally considered a "mummy," you need one of the best mummy movies of all time — "Blood From the Mummy's Tomb."

Based on the novel "The Jewel of Seven Stars" from "Dracula" scribe Bram Stoker, "Blood From the Mummy's Tomb" follows an archaeologist's daughter who becomes possessed by the spirit of a mummified Egyptian queen, Tera (Valerie Leon). In that regard, "Blood From the Mummy's Tomb" could be viewed as a thematic companion to "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," as it also involves possession of another's body. 

The terror doesn't simply lie with an Egyptian entity getting resurrected. It lays in characters dealing with the fact that the person they loved is no longer there. There's no shortage of death in the film, even if it lacks the gore in more contemporary films. But one thing's for certain: the ending will leave you talking for quite a while.