Year of Release: 2020
Director: Josh Boone
Starring: Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt, Henry Zaga, Adam Beach, Thomas Kee, Colbi Gannett
Genre: Action, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
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Synopsis and Review:
Much like Joe Wright's "The Woman in the Window", Josh Boone's "The New Mutants" also had a very colorful story before actually premiering in 2020 (its original premiere date was in 2018). The film is an adaptation of the Marvel comic book, and belongs to the same universe in which the X-Men characters exist (this comic book offshoot of the X-Men had its first run in 1982). This adaptation, brought to life courtesy of co-writer and director Josh Boone, takes a decidedly different turn, and opts for a darker, akin to a horror film approach. The film introduces us firstly to Dani Moonstar, a young Cheyenne Native American woman, who witnesses her entire reservation being devastated. She is taken to an empty hospital, run by the mysterious Dr. Cecilia Reyes, who informs her she is a mutant. Turns out, there are a few more patients in the hospital after all, including Sam Guthrie, Illyana Rasputin, Roberto da Costa and Rahne Sinclair. They all have their specific mutations, the same going for the Dr. Reyes herself. They can't leave the premises of the hospital, since there's a restraining force field generated by the Dr. which prevents them from doing so. They all believe they are being trained to become part of the X-Men, but the intentions of Dr. Reyes, and the organization sponsoring the research is far more sinister. As the young group of teenagers starts being confronted & attacked with menacing visions and creatures, Dr. Reyes deducts that Dani is creating these, and decides to euthanize her, as per orders of her employers. However things take a darker turn from that moment on.
Director Josh Boone made a name for himself with the adaptation of John Green's book, "The Fault in Our Stars", which paved the way for him to tackle this material. The film has a distinct look and feel from most of the X-Men film series, including the films by Bryan Singer, Matthew Vaughn, James Mangold, Brett Ratner and Gavin Hood. The film collects quite a bit of inspiration from the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" series of the 1980s, in particular the Chuck Russell directed episode, "The Dream Warriors". Sadly, and unlike the films that it emulates, this one lacks humor and much dimension to any of its lead characters. Dr. Reyes, the character who walks the fine line of being a helper and a villain, in particular, fails to have any actual depth to her, appearing as somewhat of a host to the events taking place, but not much is ever really known about her (or for that matter, about the remaining characters). In its quest to be different, the creative team behind this tale, forgot that the characters need to have a background, some motivations, and do more than just act scared throughout the narrative. It's a surprisingly threadbare film in terms of narrative, never truly creating an iconic villain, nor for that matter, never truly illustrating the potential of these characters, all of which have very distinct and unique backgrounds. The cast tries their best to bring some life to these characters, in particular Alice Braga and Anya Taylor-Joy, but for all their effort and talent, this tale always feels stunted and somewhat lifeless. A wasted opportunity.
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