The New Mutants
Fox studiosOriginally to be released in early 2018 before being delayed continuously for two and a half years, The New Mutants has quite a bit of anticipation behind it, if only for people to see what the hell a superhero-horror film would look like. Alas, the incredibly long wait has proved to not be even remotely worth it, as The New Mutants is an uninspired, lazy and uninteresting product that doesn’t take any risks whatsoever. It ends Fox’s X-Men franchise on the most middling note possible.
Adapted from the comic book series of the same name, The New Mutants follows a group of young mutants who have recently discovered their abilities as they attempt to escape both their past sins and the secret facility where they’re being held.
The performances are a complete mixed bag. Some are able to stand out despite the weak material and some leave a lot to be desired. Maisie Williams is the most memorable part of the film. She is the one actor that is doing legitimately good work here. Charlie Heaton and Alice Braga aren’t given much to do, but they do a decent job. Anya-Taylor Joy is normally a great actress but she isn’t great in this, and that all can’t be pinned on her, as she’s saddled with an awkward accent and some of the worst dialogue in the film. Henry Zaga fails to make much of an impression, and Blu Hunt is simply not a good actress, which is a big problem since she’s the central character that audiences are supposed to connect and relate to. Her line delivery is stilted and unnatural, making every scene with her feel like something on The CW.
There isn’t much to say about the technical aspects of the film, as nothing stands out whatsoever. Josh Boone’s direction is unbelievably dull. He doesn’t even attempt to give The New Mutants a distinct visual style. It looks more like any run-of-the-mill horror film than it does a big-budget superhero film. In that same vein, the cinematography by Peter Deming is acceptable but unremarkable. There are a couple solid unique shots here and there, but they’re drowned out by the excess of passable filmmaking. Robb Sullivan, Matthew Rundell and Andrew Buckland handled the editing, and it feels like a film edited by three different people. Some of the cuts make no sense and completely ignore continuity, there are bad digital zooms and pans, and the pacing is incredibly rushed. The visual effects and green screen look like they’re from at least 10 years ago. The budget for the film was between $67 million and $80 million, and where that money went is anyone’s guess because it’s not on the screen.
The New Mutants is the worst kind of film: one that, once you leave the theater, evaporates from your mind almost immediately. The best thing about film is the conversation that it can inspire, the themes and visuals that stick with you, the performances that leave you speechless. The New Mutants does none of this, and that is why it is a failure.