The release of the MCU’s Moon Knight, which focuses on a man who has become an avatar for an ancient Egyptian god, demonstrates that there is a continuing thirst for and fascination with this ancient civilization and its mythology. While it hasn’t generated quite as many movies as the pantheon of the Greeks and the Romans, there are still quite a few movies that take Ancient Egyptian culture and mythology as their focus.
Some are set in the ancient world itself, while others demonstrate just how much the cultures of the ancient world continue to influence those in the present.
The Mummy (1932)
There are few horror movies more iconic than The Mummy. Released by Universal during the heyday of that studio’s emphasis on horror, it focuses on the priest Imhotep, who is resurrected after his tomb is discovered. He then sets out to take as his bride a young woman in the modern world, who he believes is his former lover reincarnated. Even though some elements of the movie might feel outdated, it still has the power to disturb the viewer with its story about the ways the past can overwhelm the modern world.
The Mummy (1999)
While the original The Mummy was very much a horror movie, its remake from 1999 has a much lighter touch, and it remains one of the best horror movies of the 1990s. Though it shares a similar plot–with an ancient Egyptian named Imhotep who wants to resurrect his dead lover–it focuses much more on the comedy aspect of its story. It also features some excellent performances from Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah. Just as importantly, it also features some stunning special effects, and Arnold Vosloo’s performance as Imhotep still manages to chill the blood.
The Mummy Returns (2001)
Given the tremendous success of The Mummy, it was inevitable that it would produce a sequel. The follow-up features most of the same cast as the original, though with the added complication of a being named the Scorpion King, as well as a resurrected Imhotep. While there is still some of the potent charismatic magic to the stars, and while the CGI is even more sophisticated and eye-popping than the original movie, the movie does at times emphasize the latter at the expense of the former.
Nevertheless, it manages to be a potent mix of adventure and horror movie.
The Mummy (2017)
The Mummy, like many other existing intellectual properties, has also been the subject of more recent reboots. In its most recent incarnation, the 2017 The Mummy, the villain is an ancient priestess Ahmanet, who wants to use the body of a mortal human to incarnate the god Set. Though it wasn’t well-received by critics, it nevertheless does a strong job of reinventing the classic story of an ancient Egyptian menace for a more cynical and jaded age than the ones that produced its predecessors.
Gods Of Egypt (2016)
The 2010s have seen a number of movies released drawing on various mythologies and, as the title suggests, Gods of Egypt grounds its story in the ancient Egyptian pantheon. In particular, it focuses on the conflict between the god Horus and his enemy, Set. Though it was largely derided by critics, the movie is remarkable for being one of the few to actually make use of ancient Egyptian mythology. What’s more, it also features some remarkable CGI, which helps to bring to vivid life the conflict among the gods, as well as the mortals who get pulled into it.
Stargate (1994)
Roland Emmerich has been responsible for many movies, and one of his best is Stargate. A thought-provoking exploration of the influence of extraterrestrials on human culture and civilizational development, it posits that the Egyptian god Ra was an alien who sought to enslave humans to help sustain his dying body. At times the script can be a bit confusing and overwrought, but Emmerich shows how he remains a director with a skilled eye for making the most out of special effects.
The Scorpion King (2002)
The Rock has been in many great movies, and while The Scorpion King may not always be regarded as one of his best, it still has its pleasures as an adventure movie. A spin-off from The Mummy, it focuses on Rock’s character, a powerful warrior who follows the traditional hero’s journey as he sets out to become the king of the title. Despite its adventure narrative, it never takes itself too seriously, and it allows the viewer to simply relax and enjoy the ride.
10,000 BC (2008)
The ancient world has been the source for many movies, but few have been quite as strange or as compelling as 10,000 B.C. It focuses on a prehistoric man who sets out to rescue his beloved from a ruthless civilization that uses slave labor to erect its monumental architecture.
Despite its rather fantastical (and grossly historically inaccurate) story, the movie still demonstrates Emmerich’s visual panache, and there are some moments of surprising visual beauty in the movie.
Exodus: Gods And Kings (2014)
Ridley Scott has produced many great historical epics during his career, and one of his more recent offerings is Exodus: Gods and Kings. Telling the story of the biblical prophet Moses and his efforts to free the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery, it exhibits all of Scott’s strengths as a director, particularly in its brilliant use of special effects to demonstrate the awesome power of the Hebrew God and the plagues which befall Egypt in the aftermath of the pharaoh’s recalcitrance.
The Ten Commandments (1956)
The 1950s produced many great movies, and one of the most successful was The Ten Commandments, directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Like Exodus: Gods and Kings it focuses on Moses, Rameses, and their feud with one another as the former becomes the vessel for God’s will enacted on Earth. Even over half a century after its release, it manages to be a profoundly moving movie, and it also features some of the most impressive special effects of the period. Moses’ parting of the Red Sea remains a testament of the power of the moving image to capture something of the power of the divine.