Is The Mummy Scary? The Verdict and the Whole Plot
Barely, 2 out of 10. It's an old, slow curse story, short on gore and long on talk about scrolls.
🐱THE SCARE SIGNAL
SCARE SCORE
2 /10
🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱
DREAD LEVEL
Low
You'll be fine by the time the credits finish, though you may eye a scroll.
DOG
Dog: not fine
not fine, and we're sorry.
Ruling: It is a short, talky curse story that most teenagers can watch without trouble.
The Mummy runs 73 minutes. An archaeological expedition finds a mummy and a casket with a curse on it, and Dr. Muller tells everyone not to open it. Sir Joseph's assistant opens it anyway.
The premise, briefly
In 1921, an expedition finds the mummy of the high priest Imhotep and a casket carrying a curse, and one assistant ignores the warning and opens it.
How much do you want to know?
🐱
The verdict above is spoiler-free. Everything below, including the ending, stays hidden until you pick a depth.
🐱CUT TO THE CHASE
How it ends
Imhotep tries to turn Helen into his immortal bride, and Helen calls on Isis, whose statue sets the Scroll of Thoth on fire. Imhotep's body turns to dust, and Helen wakes up as herself in Frank's arms.
The scene you're dreading
The opening scene. Ralph Norton reads the scroll aloud, Imhotep rises from the dead, and Norton starts laughing hysterically as the mummy shuffles away with the scroll.
The dog
A dog dies in The Mummy: Helen's German Shepherd dies off screen, howling, and it is implied that a white cat killed it.
The Mummy is an old-fashioned curse story with almost no gore, and the dog's death happens off screen.
THE SHORT VERSION IS HIDDEN
How it ends, the scene you're dreading, what happens to the dog, and the bottom line. About twenty seconds to read.
What actually happens
Reading ancient scrolls aloud is discouraged
In 1921, an expedition led by Sir Joseph Whemple digs up the mummy of Imhotep, an ancient Egyptian high priest. Whemple's friend Dr. Muller examines it and notices that the organs were never removed and that the body shows signs of struggle, so Imhotep must have been buried alive. A casket with a curse on it is buried beside him. Muller warns against opening it, but Sir Joseph's assistant, Ralph Norton, does it anyway and finds the Scroll of Thoth. He works out the symbols and recites them out loud. This is the scene people remember, right at the start: Imhotep rises from the dead, Norton laughs hysterically at the sight, and the mummy shuffles away with the scroll.
Ten years later, Imhotep is living in modern society as Ardath Bey, an eccentric Egyptian historian. He tells Sir Joseph's son Frank and Professor Pearson where the princess Ankh-es-en-Amon is buried, and the archaeologists give its treasures to the Cairo Museum. Ardath then vanishes. The professor remembers that Norton went insane and died laughing soon after the dig. Ardath then meets Helen Grosvenor, who is half Egyptian and the image of the princess, and she moves in with Muller. Ardath falls for her, and so does Frank. When the others work out that Ardath is Imhotep, Muller tells Sir Joseph to burn the scroll. Ardath uses his magic to kill Joseph, then hypnotizes Joseph's Nubian servant into stealing the scroll for him. He summons Helen to his home and tells her that he was buried alive as punishment for trying to bring his lover back to life.
A statue that knows how to use a scroll
Ardath believes Helen is the reincarnation of the princess, and he plans to give her immortality as his bride, which means killing her, mummifying her and resurrecting her. Frank and Muller arrive to save her and keep Ardath busy for a while. Helen, now possessed by the spirit of Ankh-es-en-Amon, calls on Isis for help. The statue of Isis lifts an arm and flashes, setting the Scroll of Thoth ablaze, which breaks the spell that kept Imhotep alive. His body dies and turns to dust. Ankh-es-en-Amon's spirit leaves Helen while Frank holds her, and Helen wakes up as herself.
The ending, explained
The statue of Isis sets the Scroll of Thoth on fire, and the spell that kept Imhotep alive breaks. His body dies and crumbles into dust. Ankh-es-en-Amon's spirit leaves Helen, and Helen wakes up as herself in Frank's arms. Sir Joseph and Ralph Norton died earlier. Helen's German Shepherd also dies off screen, and it is implied that a white cat did it.
The post-credits ruling
Nobody has confirmed whether there is a scene after the credits.
✓ Spoiled safelyDog status: not fine, and we're sorry.
Questions people ask at 1am
Is The Mummy scary?
Barely. The Mummy is a 2 out of 10, with low dread and no gore, so it works as an old-fashioned curse story that most teenagers can watch.
How does The Mummy end?
The statue of Isis sets the Scroll of Thoth on fire, and Imhotep's body turns to dust. The spirit of the princess leaves Helen, and Helen wakes up as herself in Frank's arms.
Does the dog die in The Mummy?
Yes, the dog dies in The Mummy. Helen's German Shepherd dies off screen, howling, and it is implied that a white cat representing the Egyptian god Bast killed it.
Is there a post-credits scene in The Mummy?
Nobody has confirmed whether The Mummy has a scene after the credits.
Who is Imhotep in The Mummy?
Imhotep was an ancient Egyptian high priest who was buried alive for trying to bring his lover, the princess Ankh-es-en-Amon, back to life. After Norton reads the scroll aloud, he rises and lives as Ardath Bey.
BLURRED FOR YOUR PROTECTION
The whole plot of The Mummy is hidden, ending included. It stays that way until you ask.
The Mummy is 73 minutes of an expedition that should have left the casket shut. Install Scaredy Cat and the trailers stay blurred while you read the plot instead.
