A talented cast is wasted – while delivering some hilariously uneven accents – in this predictable, long-delayed spin-off from the X-Men universe that follows a group of five teens as they are held in a secret facility just as their mutant powers begin to manifest.
Danielle Moonstar (Hunt) doesn’t know what her powers are when she wakes up in a strange building following the flattening of her town by mysterious forces. She finds herself under the care of Dr Reyes (Braga), who also provides therapy for mutant teens Rahne (Wiliams), Illyana (Taylor-Joy), Sam (Heaton) and Roberto (Henry Zaga). Unable to leave, the teens soon find themselves under threat by various things that go bump in the night.
Apparently intended to be a haunted house movie, this is surprisingly low on scares (there are some toothy fellows who may briefly give you a fright) and the Big Twist that is revealed late in the movie will have been figured out by most moviegoers in the first reel.
Lacking frights and humour, New Mutants really feels like a missed opportunity – if it had just been more tense and had more superhero/mutant stuff it would have breathed some fresh life into the X-Men franchise. Instead it is stale stuff indeed, and only worth a look if you’re an X-Men completist.
Is The New Mutants suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...
This is a 15 certificate (UK) and is meant to be a scary movie so is not suitable for younger kids.
The threats to the teens include a group of men with distorted faces, a sadistic priest who brands one character, and a person who burns in front of your eyes. There are also scenes in which the teens are attacked.
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