All The Best ‘Mummy’ Movies Ranked

All The Mummy Movies Ever

‘The Mummy’

Credit: Universal

When I embarked on making this list, I had no idea just how many movies featuring mummies there actually were.

I think in the 1930s, when the first ones came out, they had to feel revolutionary since people were still digging in Egypt and making huge discoveries. And as they kept making those movies, you had a ton of nostalgia for that time.

Before I rank the movies, I want to give you a list of all the actual movies there have been, so you can see the breadth of the monster’s role in Hollywood.

1. The Universal Classic Monsters (1932–1955)

This is the original series that started it all. It began with Boris Karloff’s iconic, slow-moving monster and then evolved from there to Lon Chaney Jr’s take on the Pharaoh.

• The Mummy (1932) – Starring Boris Karloff as Imhotep.
• The Mummy’s Hand (1940) – Introduces the mummy Kharis (played by Tom Tyler).
• The Mummy’s Tomb (1942) – Lon Chaney Jr. takes over the role of Kharis.
• The Mummy’s Ghost (1944) – Starring Lon Chaney Jr.
• The Mummy’s Curse (1944) – Starring Lon Chaney Jr.
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) – A comedy-horror crossover.

2. The Hammer Horror Series (1959–1971)

The British studio Hammer Film Productions rebooted the character with a more menacing and physical presence that felt more aligned with modern horror. The beast was famously played by Christopher Lee in the first installment. These were like gothic tales.

• The Mummy (1959) – Starring Christopher Lee as Kharis.
• The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1964)
• The Mummy’s Shroud (1967)
• Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb (1971) – This film is a notable departure, based on a Bram Stoker novel (The Jewel of Seven Stars) and featuring a female mummy/spirit.

3. The Modern Series (1999–2008)

This is the beloved action-adventure trilogy that redefined the franchise for a modern audience, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah.

They’re actually rebooting this series now!

• The Mummy (1999)
• The Mummy Returns (2001)
• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

The Scorpion King Spin-off Series

This series spun off from the character introduced in The Mummy Returns, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Most of these were direct-to-video prequels but all of them contained the lore from the movie.

• The Scorpion King (2002) – The only film in this series to get a wide theatrical release.
• The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (2008)
• The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption (2012)
• The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power (2015)
• The Scorpion King: Book of Souls (2018)

4. The “Dark Universe” Reboot (2017)

This was Universal’s attempt to launch an interconnected “Dark Universe” of its classic monsters, starting with a reboot starring Tom Cruise.

Other Notable Mummy Films

Beyond the major franchises, many other studios and countries have produced their own mummy-themed movies that are either family-oriented, scary, or something in between.

• The Jewel of Seven Stars (1917) – A lost silent film based on the Bram Stoker novel.
• The Aztec Mummy (1957) – A Mexican horror film that was followed by two sequels:
  • The Curse of the Aztec Mummy (1957)
  • The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy (1958)
• The Awakening (1980) – Starring Charlton Heston, another adaptation of Bram Stoker’s The Jewel of Seven Stars.
• Bram Stoker’s Legend of the Mummy (1998)
• Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) – A cult classic starring Bruce Campbell as an elderly Elvis Presley who, along with a man who believes he is JFK, fights a mummy in a nursing home.
• The Monster Squad (1987) – A family-friendly adventure where The Mummy is one of several classic monsters.
• Hotel Transylvania (2012) – The animated film series features a fun-loving, portly mummy named Murray as part of the main cast.

Ranking the Best Mummy Movies 

For the ranking, I wanted to pick out the most famous Mummy movies and also the ones I think are the best in general. They run the gamut of genres and tones, and I think they are so representative of everything I love about these movies.

6. The Mummy (1932)

• Director: Karl Freund
• Writer: John L. Balderston
• Starring: Boris Karloff, Zita Johann

I actually saw this movie for the first time a year ago and fell in love. If you’re only familiar with the 1999 version, you will be shocked. It’s this brooding, atmospheric, gothic horror-drama that capitalizes on mood.

Powered by a legendary and haunting performance from Boris Karloff, he plays Imhotep as a creepy, shuffling, and deeply unsettling presence that just keeps coming after you.

In this movie, he spends most of the film out of his iconic bandages, posing as a modern Egyptian tapping into ancient secrets.

5. Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)

• Director: Charles Lamont
• Writers: John Grant and Lee Loeb
• Starring: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Marie Windsor

This might have actually been my first introduction to any Mummy movie ever. I was a big fan of Abbott and Costello movies and dipped my toes into “horror” here. It’s just a funny movie that plays with the classic Universal monster tropes alongside slapstick comedy.

We find our titular heroes caught between a cult and treasure hunters all vying for the mummy Klaris. It’s goofy fun.

4. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

• Director: Don Coscarelli
• Writer: Don Coscarelli (based on the novella by Joe R. Lansdale)
• Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Ella Joyce

Okay, so this was one of the first indie movies I saw that really knocked my socks off. It was loud and funny and weird, and so easy to recommend to people because of its unique premise.

Bruce Campbell gives a career-best performance as a man in a nursing home who claims to be the real Elvis Presley. He claims he switched places with an impersonator decades ago, but no one believes him…except his only friend is a man who believes he is John F. Kennedy (the legendary Ossie Davis).

Their quiet life of regret is interrupted by a soul-sucking mummy in a cowboy hat who is preying on the elderly residents to try to keep himself alive.

Bubba Ho-Tep is a hilarious, bizarre, and surprisingly poignant film about aging. It’s a true cult masterpiece.

3. The Mummy Returns (2001)

• Director: Stephen Sommers
• Writer: Stephen Sommers
• Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Bigger, louder, and more expensive than its predecessor, The Mummy Returns is a classic sequel that just expands on the first movie by having even more fun. This kind of movie was meant to be loved by the fans, and gives them everything they want from the first and builds out the world.

Our heroes, Rick and Evie, have a son now. And we learn that Evie is a reincarnated princess who is the only one who can stop Imhotep and his bride from resurrecting The Scorpion King and conquering the world with the army of Anubis.

The entire original cast is back, and their chemistry is still electric. The quips and zingers never stop, and the high-octane adventure takes us all over the globe.

2. The Mummy (1959)

• Director: Terence Fisher
• Writer: Jimmy Sangster
• Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee

For many horror purists, this is the definitive Mummy film. The legendary Hammer Horror studio took the 1932 concept and injected it with vibrant Technicolor, gothic dread, and two of the genre’s biggest icons: Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

Unlike Karloff’s slow, creeping mummy, Christopher Lee’s Kharis is a force of nature. He is tall, fast, and terrifyingly strong, a genuine physical threat. You can see modern movement and terror in this one. And Peter Cushing is our rogue, doing his best to stop him

This movie also looks incredible, with genius cinematography. It is a genuinely scary film that combines the best parts of the original and the 1940s sequels into one fantastic package.

1. The Mummy (1999)

• Director: Stephen Sommers
• Writer: Stephen Sommers
• Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo

This movie is a miracle. It had no right to be this good, and yet it’s the perfect movie that reaches fun pinnacles few ever have in movie history.

The Mummy (1999) is a flawless blend of action, romance, comedy, and horror. I legit have no idea how they did all that, but I think it has something to do with the charm of its leads.

Brendan Fraser is the perfect swashbuckling hero, Rachel Weisz is his brilliant and capable equal, and their chemistry is one of the all-time greats. You actually feel like this movie is sexy a times, like, how did they do that?

From the charismatic villain Imhotep to the hilarious comic relief, every single piece of this movie just works. It’s endlessly rewatchable.

Summing It Up 

I think the world built in these mummy movies is one of the most underrated in film, and the movies that came out of it are all a lot of fun. They have a lot in common, but it does feel like filmmakers can come in and play with the genres of the movie to get their vision on the screen and apply any tone they want.

These are my favorite mummy movies, but I am sure you have your own.