The New Mutants
Final X-Men universe film about teen mutants trapped in creepy facility
The brief
The New Mutants feels like a YA horror novel that got stuck in development hell and emerged as a confused X-Men spinoff nobody asked for. Josh Boone tries to blend teen angst with supernatural scares, but the result is surprisingly flat despite a committed cast including Anya Taylor-Joy and Maisie Williams doing their best with clunky dialogue. The whole thing moves at a sluggish pace through predictable beats, never quite scary enough to work as horror or engaging enough to work as superhero origin story. Perfect for completists who need to see every X-Men property, or if you're curious how badly a promising concept can misfire.
The verdict
If you're an X-Men completist or enjoy watching promising concepts executed poorly as a curiosity, this delivers exactly that kind of train wreck fascination. If you want either effective horror or engaging superhero storytelling, skip this sluggish misfire that fails at both despite a game cast.
Watch with
- 👥 Friends who like X-Men universe
- ⚠️ Avoid with superhero skeptics
Heads up
- Suicide attempts and self-harm themes (moderate)
- Jump scares throughout (moderate)
- Teens in institutional confinement (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Josh Boone
- Cast
- Blu Hunt, Charlie Heaton, Maisie Williams, Henry Zaga, Anya Taylor-Joy, Alice Braga, Adam Beach
Official synopsis
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.
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with The Substance (2024)
Both explore body horror and institutional control over young people.
Total runtime: 1h 34m + 2h 21m = 3h 55m
