The Mummy TamilYogi Review: At one point the house becomes unnaturally quiet interrupted by some unnatural sound that is creeping along the walls. It is an ideal representation of Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, disturbing in spurts but frustratingly inconsistent as a whole. Lee Cronin is obviously shooting at the suffocating terror of The Exorcist, and he sets up a tale about the long-lost daughter of a man coming back under very suspicious conditions. That atmosphere works a while. The tension boils, the images are disorienting and there is a constant feeling that something is amiss. But more frequently the movie drags, wandering around its thoughts without making them sharper. It is not until the last run that everything falls into place and the focused horror is provided that the rest of the film is constantly alluding to but seldom actually providing.
The supposition is at once curious. Its centre is a father, a journalist, whose life was broken 8 years ago when his daughter disappeared without a clue. It starts when he is brought unexpected news of her discovery and requested to bring her home. The reunion is soon sinister. After the girl comes back, a sequence of disturbing supernatural occurrences start to take place, preconditioning what would have been a horrifying experience.
This is precisely what Cronin wants to achieve, to create a slow-fuse horror, that eventually bursts into an all-out horror. The film however takes most of its time to find its feet. It is almost thirty minutes to gain some sense of direction and even by the time, what is happening, the story seems to be warming up but not yet to capture anyone. This slow pace turns out to be one of the greatest flaws of the film, particularly in the genre which relies on the constant tension.
So much, the technical work is amazing. The visual effects and soundscape in conjunction with the production design contribute to the suffocating atmosphere. Much credit should be given to the makeup and prosthetics, which adds much to the unsettling atmosphere of the movie. Instead of the typical scares, Cronin turns into grotesque imagery. Although this method is impressive, it sometimes borders on overkill. Certain scenes are so graphic in a sense that they tend to push away the viewers rather than attract them.
The performances give a very good background. Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, and May Calamawy make the story believable especially in the emotionally charged last act. Natalie Grace is the most outstanding. As Katie, the actor, gives a powerful and disturbing performance. Her presence makes things feel uncomfortable all around, which serves the purpose of the film, but at the expense of it. Her depiction alienates the audience, rather than eliciting sympathy, and it is more difficult to fully invest in the character.
Ironically, the film comes alive only in its final 15 to 20 minutes. The act becomes more intense, the actors become more urgent, and the horror is finally meaningful. The climax is played with accuracy and provides the payoff that the film has been developing to. At that stage, though, the trip seems to be longer than it ought to be.
Predictability is another issue. Although it tries to create suspense, the story has a typical supernatural horror course. Lots of events, such as the course of the climax, can be predicted, making them less effective.
The movie is also mostly dependent on shock value instead of tension. Some jump scares are successful, but there are not enough of them to sustain interest. The horror aspects though eye-catching are not exploited to their maximum potential.
The Mummy is blighted with glimpses of brilliance on a technical and performance front. It is a whole experience but it is not even. It is neither a fizzle nor a success story, but rather molls in the domain of an average watch. No sex, however, there is very gory and disturbing imagery in the film and only mature audiences can watch it. The Tamil version dubbed is fairly good as far as quality is concerned.
Finally, The Mummy possesses the ingredients of a good horror movie but no real discipline in the narration that would make these elements work together. It is a movie one should take with a grain of salt, especially those who are fond of visceral horror and can withstand a slow build-up.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
