Over the last few decades, serial killers have inexplicably reached near cult-like celebrity status, gathering a fascination from those who can rattle off every disturbing fact related to them and their crimes. It’s a phenomenon that is difficult to understand for some, while those who have formed a reverence of these criminals are quick to justify it by stating it’s more about the true crime aspect and the typical patterns and behaviors many of them exhibit.
No matter where you stand on the matter, it can’t be denied that these people are indeed murderers, many of whom execute their crimes in shocking, macabre fashion. The Mummy Murders, directed by Colin Bressler and written by William Donahue and Bressler, examines one man’s unsettling confession to the heinous acts he committed in a small town and his justifications and reasonings for carrying them out.
Alexis (Leila Annastasia Scott) is an investigative reporter in her hometown of San Antonio who has been deeply researching a string of grisly killings, coined “the mummy murders” due to the mystery killer’s method of embalming the victims. While working on her laptop at a local cafe one night, she’s approached by a man (Jason Scarbrough) who seems to know a lot about her. Intrigued, she allows him to sit with her and further explain himself.
He calls himself an “artist”, and reveals to Alexis that he’s the serial killer responsible for the high-profile homicides. Though it’s a shocking and terrifying admission, Alexis keeps her professional cool and listens as he discloses his motives, turning the unexpected moment into a pseudo-interview.
As he recites details of his childhood, along with his mindset and rationale behind the murders, we get a chilling look through flashbacks of his marks, how he chose them, and how he killed and embalmed them. As the conversation continues, Alexis discovers alarming connections between herself and the killer that cause her to question everything she thought she knew and understood about her life. Will the startling revelations lead her to do the right thing and alert the police, or will her inherent desire to uncover the entire story get in the way of what’s morally correct?
The Mummy Murders is an intricately woven look inside the mind of a serial killer, told almost entirely from their perspective. Scarbrough plays his character with grim, emotionless precision, delivering a gripping performance that’s both captivating and shocking. There’s a quiet, pragmatic demeanor that he carries throughout the film, never wavering in his speech or behavior. His recounts of the crimes are almost poetic, leaving Alexis (and the audience) so caught up in what he’s saying, it’s easy to forget the monstrous facts behind what he’s done.
Scott shines as Alexis, expertly playing a woman caught between the moral quandaries of the situation she’s been put in. Despite the movie consisting almost entirely of a discussion between the two of them in a single location, together she and Scarbrough carry the story confidently on their shoulders, never allowing for a dull or arduous moment.
There are obvious homages to The Silence of the Lambs and even Interview with the Vampire, but it manages to set itself apart mainly due to the killer’s signature calling card of embalming his victims.
The only true struggle comes with the fact that getting such an intimate, grotesque look into the killer’s methods makes for a difficult watch even for those with a strong constitution. That of course is the point, but the fact remains that this likely won’t be at the top of the list of those wanting a relaxing escape from reality on a weekend afternoon.
All the same, The Mummy Murders is an intriguing examination of the thought process of a madman, and the confidence he puts into a stranger who could be his undoing.
8 Out Of 10
