7 Years Later, Blumhouse’s R-Rated Mummy Remake Is A Secret Sequel To This Underrated Indie Horror

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Although Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is an enjoyable remake, it also feels like a spiritual successor to his lesser-known horror film from 2019. The Mummy series has been revived many times throughout the years, much like the monster itself, consistently returning to frighten audiences every few decades. It began in 1932 with the original The Mummy, was reimagined by Hammer Films in 1959, and then became a lighthearted, action-packed horror series in the late 1990s.

The 2017 attempt to revive The Mummy failed with critics and audiences, but the 2026 reboot from Blumhouse, directed by Lee Cronin, has been more successful. Cronin’s The Mummy shifts the focus to horror and possession, telling the story of a family whose daughter is discovered alive – but clearly unwell – inside a sarcophagus after a plane crash. While the movie’s intense and violent horror is reminiscent of Cronin’s 2023 film Evil Dead Rise, the plot shares even more similarities with his 2019 breakout hit, The Hole in the Ground.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Revisits 2019’s The Hole In The Ground

Released in 2019, The Hole in the Ground tells the story of Sarah, a struggling single mother, and her quiet son, Chris. After Chris explores a mysterious sinkhole near their isolated rural home, he comes back acting strangely, leading Sarah to suspect he’s been replaced. While it takes Sarah a while to realize it, the audience quickly understands that Chris has been swapped with a changeling – a mischievous creature from Celtic folklore known for stealing children and leaving a replacement.

With the release of Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, director Lee Cronin has now made two horror films featuring a child who disappears, returns altered, and throws their parent into a frightening struggle to save them. While The Mummy incorporates Egyptian mythology, many critics have pointed out that the horror feels more akin to a typical story about a dangerous child than a classic mummy tale. This connection to Cronin’s earlier film, The Hole in the Ground, is hard to ignore.

The Hole In The Ground Is Perfect For Fans of Lee Cronin’s The Mummy

While Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is a bit too long and could have been improved by removing its unnecessary detective storyline, the film still manages to be enjoyable. Its creepy and imaginative possession story works well if you go in knowing it’s not a traditional Mummy movie. And if you like The Mummy, you’ll probably also enjoy The Hole in the Ground.

If you enjoyed Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, you’ll likely appreciate The Hole in the Ground. It’s a bit faster-paced and shares similar qualities – a dark sense of humor, a touching story about family, and some truly unsettling horror. Other films like 2015’s The Hallow and a segment from the horror anthology A Christmas Horror Story explore similar themes, but The Hole in the Ground is the closest in spirit to Cronin’s work.

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2026-04-23 23:11