Campus Lockdown, Possessed Minions, and a Shambling Mummy review

Rise of the Mummy (2021) is its ultra-indie, regional British counterpart. Produced by Scott Jeffrey’s notorious Jagged Edge Productions (the prolific studio behind Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey) and distributed by ITN Studios, this movie attempts a highly bizarre genre mashup: a traditional shambling mummy curse meets an Edge of Tomorrow-style supernatural time loop. +1The SetupThe plot kicks off when a mysterious ancient mummy is recovered by the military and, for reasons that only make sense in low-budget horror, is handed over to a university social studies/archaeology class for study. Naturally, the students and their professor mess around with things they shouldn’t, inadvertently awakening the ancient creature. Once revived, the Mummy seals off the campus. To prevent anyone from escaping, it traps the remaining students in a localized supernatural time loop. Every time the entity kills a student, it harvests their soul to rebuild its strength so it can walk the Earth permanently—forcing the survivors to figure out how to break the loop and defeat the monster before the final ritual is complete. +1The Low-Budget QuirksThe Possession Gimmick: To stretch the budget and cover up the fact that there’s only one slow-moving monster, the Mummy hypnotizes and possesses several faculty members and students. They turn into dead-eyed, zombie-like thralls who do the heavy lifting, stalking and holding down their classmates for the Mummy to sacrifice. The Mask: Unlike big-budget mummies with CGI sand powers, this creature relies entirely on an old-school, herky-jerky practical look consisting of textured wraps and a slightly stiff prosthetic mask. The Setting: The entire film embraces a highly contained, one-location aesthetic, keeping the claustrophobic slaughter restricted entirely to an empty school campus and its stark hallways. Cast & CrewDirector: Antonia Johnstone (who also plays a character named Mora in the film). Writer: Shannon Holiday. Cast: Features indie horror staples like Megan Purvis (Bats), Abi Casson Thompson (The Curse of Humpty Dumpty), Amanda-Jade Tyler, and an appearance by B-movie legend Shawn C. Phillips. The VerdictIt’s a sluggish but strangely ambitious micro-budget effort. While it suffers from the usual indie constraints—such as long stretches of classroom exposition in the first half and noticeable digital blood—the addition of the time loop and possessed minions gives it a unique flavor compared to standard tomb-raider fare. Are we putting together another retro VHS-style thumbnail blueprint for this one, or are you mapping out a “2021 Indie Horror” review marathon?How this was made This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goreandgrimepodcast.substack.com