THE NEW MUTANTS (2020)

Directed By: Josh Boone Written By: Josh Boone & Knate Lee Cinematography: Peter Deming  Editor: Andrew Buckland, Robb Sullivan & Matthew Rundell 

Cast: Blu Hunt, Alice Braga, Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, Adam Beach 

Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.

Had high hopes for this film when it was originally supposed to be released. As in the advertisements, it seemed to offer something different when it came to a superhero film. One that was more of a horror film.

While the film resembles one. It doesn’t scare or fascinate. In fact, it feels more like a video game for the number of CGI effects used and more aimed at teenagers for how clean it comes off being.

Especially as it plays more like a haunted house film That just happens to involve a laboratory.

One can understand with all the supposed reshooting and re-edits that delayed the film. Which is supposed to sharpen the movie or at least make it better, but it seems to have sucked all the originality out of it.

The actors also use a variety of f accents that don’t seem to always stick. There is one. Performance that is so bad it’s never believable and amazed it stayed in and in so many scenes. As it comes off more cartoonish than probably intended.

The movie also comes off a lot simpler than it should.

The film had certain darkness that hangs over it that would work in a horror film or if it truly meant something but as the film plays like a dramatic thriller. It feels more artificial. So that the angst that the film tries to display feels more scripted than natural.

All of this is a shame as this was also one of my favored comic book series when I used to collect comic books as a teen. This movie doesn’t come close to it in any way, shape, or form. In fact, it feels more random than anything else 

Some of the disappointment might be that the film feels a bit unfinished; it offers a nice short story, but holds the ideas for something bigger and more. That could have been a different kind of superhero movie. Though it feels like any development for something original was stopped in its tracks or just cut out. As it feels constantly on the edge of something then stops way short. Which just leaves a major disappointment. 

Grade: C-