Entertainment

Now Playing: Lee Cronin’s The Mummy

A demonic possession film re-skinned. Or should I say Mummy-skinned?

Published

April 20, 2026

I had fun with Lee Cronin’s The Mummy. It’s a visceral, unadulterated, gory thrill ride. But is it a good film?

A missing child, Katie, is found after being away for years. Her disappearance has left visible cracks within the family. With unresolved grief and tensions lingering just beneath the surface, Katie returns home. It forces them to confront everything they have long been avoiding – grief, guilt, loss, and a sense of identity. The film unfolds like a haunted house horror. It’s centered on a family fighting to restore normalcy as something darker begins to threaten them.

A hollow myth dressed as horrorFamiliar story, borrowed mythology

Cronin adopts a family-centered narrative to ground its horror. This approach lends the story a sense of universal familiarity and understanding. It anchors the supernatural elements and visceral horror with real and intense emotions. With its overly simplistic – and often overused – storyline, however, it just feels flat.

The characters’ emotional turmoil never fully takes off – much like possessed-Katie levitating in her wheelchair, hovering only a few feet off the ground. It never moves beyond the superficial depth established within the first 30 minutes.

It leans closer in spirit to The Awakening (1980). There, possession and reincarnation rituals functioned as surface-level devices rather than being deeply rooted in a meaningful exploration of Egyptian mythology.

At its core, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy plays less of a mythology-driven monster and more like a possession story dressed in Egyptian iconography.

Mythology without meaning

The filmmakers admit that “the history was reshaped and reality was twisted to accommodate the plot.” It was evident in the film’s scattered use of Egyptian references. This choice of hand-grabbing random Egyptian influences – symbols, language, incantations, and ritualistic imagery – and piecing them together to fit the storyline, rather than allowing them to coalesce into a fully realized mythological system, feels weak at best and a cultural disservice at worst.

As a result, the narrative falls back onto the familiar Western possession logic, rather than anything distinctly Egyptian or genuinely original.

Visually rich, emotionally thin

Cronin’s style is immediately evident even just from the opening scene. The strong domestic-centered storyline, textured and visually striking environment, and composition, as well as detailed set pieces. If anything, the film itself resembles the 3,000-year-old sarcophagus Katie got trapped in. Intricate and aesthetically compelling, yet ultimately hollow inside.

It closely follows the Evil Dead Rise (2023) formula, but Evil Dead has an already established system and identity. Its lore is clear and carries its own magic, appeal, and nostalgia hit. It leaves little need for expansion beyond creating strong, compelling characters. That’s something Cronin’s The Mummy still struggled to deliver.

Between terror and unintentional comedy

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is visceral and gory – which is “fun” to some, myself included. I had fun when Katie’s possession escalates to her digging through the ceiling, crawling upside-down. There’s also mauling whatever and whoever she comes across, while her infected sister was also escalating in her own way, smiling dementedly at their parents with a set of teeth that wasn’t hers. THAT was FUN.

Some moments felt like deliberate dark humor. Like when a scarab beetle attack forces the detective to pinch her vocal cords back together so she can recite a ritual. Her later return, still speaking in a permanently hoarse voice and her snarky demeanor intact after recovering, was both ridiculous and hilarious.

The movie, however, doesn’t fully commit to that tone. At times, I found myself wondering whether these moments were unintentionally funny due to the typical horror logic. Where everyone has to be inexplicably, well, stupid – rather than a deliberate choice.

While certain lines, such as the famous scene with possessed-Katie saying, “Don’t worry, grandma, it’s fun being dead!” suggest an intent to lean into a self-aware campy route. The film’s inconsistent tone renders the execution awkward and forced. Theatre experience reflects this tonal inconsistency; rather than laughter, the audience mostly responded with collective screams during meaningless jump scares.

Fun for some, frustrating for others

Casual viewers and those easily horrified will find the film effective and entertaining. Particularly in a group viewing experience with friends. Its easy-to-understand story has proven to be a widely effective formula. As seen with the widespread success of co-producer James Wan’s The Conjuring and Insidious franchises.

Dedicated horror fans, particularly those who enjoy visceral gore, will find much to appreciate. The film distinguishes itself through a sustained sense of dread. It creates tension as a perpetual baseline, keeping viewers constantly on the edge of their seats. Director Lee Cronin, with his signature brutality, punctures this baseline by masterfully interspersing intense violence, delivering a visceral, almost tactile horror experience. These bursts, along with the escalating violence, reinforce the film’s relentless intensity, creating a physically overwhelming atmosphere. While the first half occasionally leans toward shock value for its own sake, the later escalations serve a crucial narrative function: cathartic release.

The more critical viewers, however, are more likely to find the improperly explored mythology and mish-mashed lore, paired with a lack of narrative depth, ultimately not worth their time.

As for me, I fall somewhere between the critical viewer and the horror fan. While I am filled with disdain for the formulaic narrative and the reskinned possession approach, my love for the genre and for Cronin’s brand of violence keeps me from fully writing this movie off.

Entertaining, but forgettable

Ultimately, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is a visually striking, visceral thrill ride that struggles to justify its own existence beyond surface-level scares.

Its strongest moments stem from Cronin’s command of tension and brutality. While it succeeds in delivering a physically overwhelming experience – turning gore into a form of cathartic release. It falters when asked to sustain emotional depth or offer a coherent mythology.

Yet, despite its tonal inconsistencies and formulaic narrative, the raw energy of its horror moments makes it a flawed but undeniably entertaining ride. One that satisfies on an immediate, sensory level, while offering little that endures beyond. It may not be a masterpiece of the genre, but for those willing to overlook the lack of substance, it offers enough “gory-fun” to satisfy the itch for a good physical scare and visceral release.

This outcome is particularly poignant given Cronin’s own philosophy on the project. Having turned down a sequel to his successful Evil Dead Rise to work on The Mummy and reclaim the horror of the IP, he famously noted, “When you make a movie, you have to take risks because it might be your last chance to do it.” In the end, however, I find that Cronin did not take enough risks with this one.

Entertainment

Marvel Studios announces Ghost Rider, Black Panther 3 at SDCC

What lies ahead of Multiverse Saga now taking shape

Published

July 26, 2026

GadgetMatch

All images courtesy: The Walt Disney Company

What lies ahead of the Multiverse Saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is now taking shape, as Marvel Studios have made major announcements at San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) 2026.

The first major reveal was the Ghost Rider feature film, set to release in 2028 with Ryan Gosling playing the protagonist.

Shawn Levy, who directed Deadpool and Wolverine and the Night at the Museum trilogy as both director and producer, will direct the film. Jonathan Tropper is writing the script. All three worked with Star Wars: Starfighter in the same capacities.

Gosling said Johnny Blaze “is a character” he “wanted to play for a very long time.”

The Marvel character has been shown in two live-action movies between 2007 to 2012 starring Nicolas Cage.

More recently, Gabriel Luna played the younger host to Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes, in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in which the story revolved around him and Chloe Bennet’s Daisy Johnson/Quake for most of the first season.

Avengers: Doomsday panel, Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Marvel Studios then filled SDCC’s Hall H with the massive cast of Avengers: Doomsday, moderated by directors Anthony and Joe Russo.

This segment featured some of the biggest stars of the MCU. There’s Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Simu Liu, James Marsden, David Harbour, Letitia Wright, Lewis Pullman, Kelsey Grammer, Danny Ramirez, Winston Duke, Hannah John-Kamen, Rebecca Romijn, and Tenoch Huerta Mejia.

Hayley Atwell also joined the panel, confirming she will return in the new film as Peggy Carter.

WATCH: Avengers: Doomsday trailer assembles Marvel’s biggest heroes against Doctor Doom

After all, the mid-credits scene in Avengers: Endgame showed that when it was time to return the infinity stones back where they belonged, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers/Captain America went back in time and instead lived the life he wanted to have with Peggy.

Meanwhile, Jon Bernthal later on made a surprise appearance. This was to talk about his role as Frank Castle/The Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Black Panther 3 revealed

To cap off the panel, Black Panther 3 has been confirmed for December 15, 2028. Writer and director Ryan Coogler came out to the stage to introduce David Jonsson as the new Black Panther.

The Alien: Romulus actor will play Toussaint/T’Challa II, the son of the late Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. In the third Black Panther film, his character will be all grown-up. Naturally, the events in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will make the transition and his on-screen “aging” a lot smoother.

What this means is Letitia Wright’s Shuri is preparing to step down as the Black Panther. Doomsday will be among her final battles wearing the suit.

Winston Duke’s M’Baku, who is the King of Wakanda in the current events of the MCU, will also play an integral part in setting up T’Challa II for the throne — be it through a traditional Wakandan ritual for the leadership or through other means.

Entertainment

Resident Evil movie reboot finally gets a scary trailer

Can you spot the Easter eggs for longtime fans?

Published

July 24, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

After briefly losing its way in the middling fifth and sixth entries, the Resident Evil series rediscovered its way back to the survival horror genre with the seventh entry onwards. However, the series doesn’t have the best reputation in Hollywood with its lackluster reviews. Now, the Hollywood series wants to right the ship with the upcoming reboot, simply titled Resident Evil.

Much like the gaming franchise’s renaissance, the upcoming film heads to the survival horror genre with a frightful caper. Medical courier Bryan (Austin Abrams) is tasked with delivering a vital organ to somewhere outside Raccoon City. Along the way, he runs over a rabid woman, who just disappears when he steps out to check.

Forced to seek help at a nearby shack, he finds himself in a struggle for survival when he discovers monstrous beings lurking around. It gets worse when he returns to the city and finds it overrun with the zombie outbreak.

The trailer has a few Easter eggs, including a typewriter, one of the most traditional ways that the game series uses to save games. Director Zach Cregger (Weapons) promises that the movie itself will have more Easter eggs for longtime fans of the series.

Resident Evil will premiere in theaters on September 18.

Entertainment

Avengers: Doomsday trailer assembles Marvel’s biggest heroes against Doctor Doom

Thor warns of Doom

Published

July 20, 2026

GadgetMatch

After teasing fans with four short clips last year, Marvel has finally dropped the official trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, which opens in theaters this December.

The trailer revolves around Thor as he gathers the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and older Avengers like Scott Lang and Sam Wilson. Together, they prepare for the arrival of Doctor Doom.

Thor warns everyone that the multiversal threat is unlike anything he has ever faced.

“I’ve fought with many warriors in my time,” he says. “They were far stronger than all of us put together. And they died.”

He speaks from experience. Later in the trailer, he charges at Doctor Doom with Stormbreaker, much like his arrival during the Battle of Wakanda. Doom simply catches the lightning-infused attack with one hand. He doesn’t even flinch.

Thor has lived for thousands of years. He has fought countless Avengers-level threats, including Hela and Thanos. He also witnessed the fall of Asgard during Ragnarok. That makes his warning hard to ignore.

It’s also fitting that the trailer revolves around him. As the last active original Avenger from the Infinity Saga, Thor has seen more than anyone else in the room.

Familiar faces and new alliances

As Thor speaks, the trailer cuts between several heroes preparing for the coming battle.

It opens at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, where Professor X witnesses destruction outside the mansion before warning that everyone will soon face an “unthinkable decision.”

The Fantastic Four, led by Reed Richards, arrive alongside Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, and Scott Lang for what appears to be a strategy meeting with Wakanda’s leaders.

The trailer also revisits several moments from last year’s teasers, this time from different angles.

There’s the Wakandans, led by King M’Baku, meeting Ben Grimm. Black Panther charges into battle with Wakandan forces. Cyclops unleashes a full-powered optic blast. Gambit clashes with Shang-Chi.

A few scenes are completely new. Namor finally joins the action instead of simply observing events. Mystique shapeshifts into Yelena Belova. Loki appears holding what looks like a TVA device. Professor X also shares a quiet moment with Magneto.

The trailer also includes emotional beats. Scott Lang shares a moment with his daughter Cassie, perhaps thinking that they’ll be separated for the nth time as he participates in battle. Meanwhile, Johnny Storm comforts Sue Storm as a massive wall of water looms behind her.

A familiar hero returns

The trailer concludes with Thor standing alone against Doctor Doom. Even his strongest attack fails to make the villain budge.

“We are going to need a miracle,” a voice says.

Moments later, Mjolnir suddenly flies into someone’s hand.

“Hey, pal… It’s not possible,” Thor says in disbelief.

The final reveal shows Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers casually catching Mjolnir before smiling back at Thor. The moment confirms that, regardless of which universe he comes from, Captain America remains worthy.

To this point, Marvel still keeps most of the story under wraps. The trailer focuses more on the scale of the threat than the plot itself.

One thing is clear, though. Defeating Doctor Doom will take far more than the Avengers alone.