What we flagged
View all categoriesOur take
This is a classic Hammer horror, more vivid and forceful than the older black-and-white mummy films. A relentless bandaged killer strangles and hunts its victims, with break-ins, gunfire, and several murders, plus a little blood and a man driven mad by fear. The dread runs strong and the monster may frighten younger children, though the staging stays restrained by modern standards. Language is very mild, there is light social drinking, and the romance is chaste. We put this at 11 because the stalking and murders sit in the open, even if the staging looks old-fashioned now.
Uplifting themes
There is courage and a determination to protect loved ones as the family faces the curse. It is a modest thread in a film built mainly for chills The hero stands his ground with nerve and tries to shield his wife, acting with decency against a frightening foe. Not a deep character study, but no cruelty from the good side
Story (may spoil tone)
One by one the archaeologists who discover the 4,000-year-old tomb of Princess Ananka are brutally murdered. Kharis, high priest in Egypt 40 centuries ago, has been brought to life by the power of the ancient gods and his sole purpose is to destroy those responsible for the desecration of the sacred tomb. But Isobel, wife of one of the explorers, resembles the beautiful princess, forcing the speechless and tormented monster to defy commands and abduct Isobel to an unknown fate.
What we flagged
Details
Violence A relentless mummy stalks and strangles its victims across the film, an…
A relentless mummy stalks and strangles its victims across the film, and there are break-ins, gunshots, and several murders. The attacks are sustained and tense, even though they are staged in a restrained period style
Language Language is very mild, with little more than an old-fashioned damn in p…
Language is very mild, with little more than an old-fashioned damn in passing. Nothing stronger features across the film
Sex / nudity A wife who resembles the lost princess becomes the monster's fixation a…
A wife who resembles the lost princess becomes the monster's fixation and is carried off, but the romance and the threat stay chaste. There is no nudity or sexual content
Drugs / alcohol A couple of light drinking moments show up, including a whisky and a jo…
A couple of light drinking moments show up, including a whisky and a joke about being too drunk to drive. It is background colour, with no heavy use
Frightening The towering bandaged killer, its slow unstoppable approach, and a man…
The towering bandaged killer, its slow unstoppable approach, and a man unhinged by terror give this a strong, dready horror atmosphere. Younger children in particular may find the monster genuinely scary
Gore / death / weapons Characters are strangled and shot, and there is some blood along with a…
Characters are strangled and shot, and there is some blood along with a line that much of it will flow. Hammer shows more colour and impact than older horrors, but it stops short of graphic wounds
Grief / bereavement Death runs through the story, with a son losing his father and uncle an…
Death runs through the story, with a son losing his father and uncle and sombre talk of funeral rites. It is handled as mystery and menace, but the loss is real and present
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- The mummy is controlled by someone else's commands. Did that make it more or less frightening to you?
- Old horror films build fear slowly with music and shadow. How does that compare to scary films today?
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The Mummy
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