The New Mutants (2020) User Reviews

A Potentially Great Idea Not Used to the Fullest

[Garcwrites · 6/10 · 27 August 2020]

@garcwrites: This movie is a slow burn that gives you enough time to get to know the new mutants but it's not very atmospheric. It doesn't put you in the mood, despite the horror vibe of the piece. I never felt anxious, or worried for any of the characters.

Even if the tone is a bit of a miss for me, it is a smartly constructed story. I felt I got the characters. I understood their fears, their traumas, and why they were the way we found them on an intellectual level but I hardly felt for them. I can't say that the actors didn't pull their weight, even though they are no oscar worthy performances, but giving that the atmosphere wasn't really there nothing elevated the work they put in.

The action scenes and visual effects were great for what they were going for, but in comparison to the sets looked like an expensive new car in a junk yard. The facility they were in is so rundown and cheap looking that I couldn't believe that it had voice activated locks. It would have been easier to believe that the doors opened and closed because of a Mutant's power.

The New Mutants felt like a great idea that wasn't totally followed through. There is a gun-shy feeling to it. They didn't go all the way or didn't strike the right tone. The first half of Josh Trank's Fant4stic Four felt more ominous than this entire movie. Unless they going for an intellectual horror superhero movie - if that's a thing - it worked! Because I understood what I was suppose to feel but never experienced any of the emotions.

This movie desperately needed whatever they edited out.

[sara-691 · 5/10 · 26 January 2021]

It was an OK movie all in all, but it could've been SO much better. I was personally stoked for a horror mutants movie, but this is as much horror as any other superhero movie (and less than some) so I must say I was very disappointed. The idea of was there and it could've been SO SO good but in the end, it wasn't...

A thing that really distracted me was the actors weird accents. You have a group of really good actors here but the bad accents made them just seem mediocre.

Wow it is so bad.

[ThomDerd · 2/10 · 20 December 2020]

Why 2 stars? Just because I used to like x-men, but after seeing this... I just don't know anymore. Why did they allow this script and in the end this final product to get out of the studio? I actually don't even care. I do care to inform the superhero movie enthusiasts and fans of the x-men saga etc to stay as far as they can from this movie and save themselves from utter disappointment and from wasting time watching this bad movie. 2/10

Not sure why all the bad reviews

[jamesmcconnon · 7/10 · 13 September 2020]

Don't know why this is getting sick bad reviews. It's not top notch Marvel but it's entertaining enough. A solid three star out of 5.

It's basically one flew over the breakfast club with added superpowers. The characters are likeable, and at an hour and a half it neither outstays it's welcome nor eats into post cinema drinking time.

I doubt the box office will justify a sequel, which is a shame as I'd like to see what happened next.

Worse than I expected

[roflmeao · 4/10 · 8 September 2020]

I went in with low expectations and yet still left disappointed. I'd like to say something positive but I really can't think of anything right now. The plot, dialogue, characters, acting, cinematography, lighting, everything was just awful.

I don't usually take note of accents in movies, if the characterisations are fine then I usually just gloss over them. It says a lot that even I noticed how bad and inconsistent these were.

The backstories were glossed over and only partially explored for the most part with glaring holes in most of them.

The "hospital" setting was not set up, explained, or even logically consistent. If you don't know who is behind it with a certain name drop, then you won't get any answers here.

Just bad. Bad and a waste of your time. Watch literally anything else. Go for a walk. Play with your dog. Live life. Don't watch this.

Bad Writing

[data_over_dogma · 5/10 · 27 January 2021]

No amount of acting and effects can make up for terrible writing. Lets just say they set up certain things in the movie and then never use them. You're like, oh the beginning of the movie said this, but don't expect anything to happen because... bad writing.

It really peaks near the beginning, then really drags on. Theres a fight scene near the end that is endless, unbelievable, really repetitive. The climax is anticlimactic so....

There was potential for a good movie, and the actors did fine, but the characters didn't act like real people. It was so obvious what was going on but they dragged on every single story element and repeated it. I feel bad for these actors; Truly a waste of money and talent.

Part of the reason it was so bad is because it has an intellectual level of Spy Kids, super predictable and stereotypical moments but placed and set up so poorly that they have no emotional depth. It checks all the boxes except being interesting and having a good plot... you know... like missing the whole point of movies.

67.000.000 $ for this crap?!

[dinkopepe · 26 September 2020]

67.000.000 $ for this crap?! For this money we could shoot 100 movies, and at least 5 of them would be great.

I enjoyed it!

[joseandresbriceno · 7/10 · 26 August 2020]

Finally after 3 years I saw it, and I must say I really enjoyed it. The movie starts off quite well, however it definitely falls flat a bit at the end, but it's entertaining and worth watching. It has a decent length and it's well made and it has a good plot. As for the concept of horror ... MEH ... it's not really horror, it has a little bit of horror but nothing spectacular, and I wouldn't put it under the category of horror. I loved all the characters, especially the character of Magik (Anya Taylor-Joy), it's a shame that we won't see these characters and their stories anymore since it is the closing chapter of the X-Men saga with FOX. Probably all the delays that occurred with this movie affected it in one way or another, especially because most of the people will expect too much and be disappointed, but give it a chance and enjoy it for what it is. At least it's WAY better than X-men Dark Phoenix.

For being in one of the worst production hells of any movie of all time, this had everything going against it and surprisingly ended up being a very effective adaptation.

[oreniaplen · 8/10 · 27 August 2020]

Hard to believe this was shot and finished in 2017 and just now got released. Production hell made it feel like it would never be out. Now that it's finally here I can say from my Personal exp, it's Honestly way more surprising than what I expected and does justice to source material. It has some stranger things influence and some cliches around it but overall is a nice blending of bizarre horror tinged aspects from the comics with great character arcs. Solid action and comedy relief that doesn't feel forced. I would say to support this film after all it's been through and you most likely will be surprised.

Not terrible

[brianjfichtner · 7/10 · 6 July 2022]

I had no expectations when I decided to finally sit down and watch this. All I had heard was how terrible it was. But, I was actually pretty entertained. At no point did I groan or wish I wasn't watching it. I got to see some of my favorite comic characters portrayed pretty well on screen by great actors. Could the story be better? Of course! But overall it was a fun, short, little flick that I'm not mad I watched.

C (flat 5). October 20' @AMC

[Celewa · 5/10 · 22 February 2021]

Feels different than other films in this genre. Never really commits to the horror aspect which is disappointing. Runtime felt short. Some out of place CGI. Distracting accents. Watchable.

Better then people are admitting.

[marshallhaque · 7/10 · 30 August 2020]

I honestly think people are being harsher on this movie then they should be, sure, this movie could have been better story and acting wise. But with the amount of delays and reshoots it had you gotta give it its credit. It tried to tackle something new which I think landed. The way they tackled the horror theme, to me was perfect. People were expecting a full out conjuring horror with an endgame level ending which is obviously not what this movie was going for so for anyone expecting either of those your of course gonna get disappointed. It does start out a little slow but once the horror and trauma aspects of the characters start the movie is easier to get into. My family and I went into this movie barley seeing the trailers and not really knowing what to expect and we came out feeling like we got our moneys worth. If you're questioning what to do because of the reviews I advice you go and make your own opinion.

Just bad bad story-writing and interpretation of the original material

[njterry-38826 · 2/10 · 9 February 2021]

Not going to make this all blow-hearted, but this movie failed first and foremost in its writing and story telling. Such a GREAT opportunity to capitalize on a different perspective of the mutant/x-men genre, as the comics did with the New Mutants, and such a complete failure. This movie lacked substance, continuity, story, everything. I am very disappointed and hope the makers of this debacle feel the same as well. One positive, I think the actors actually did a good job with what they had to work with. But come on!!! Haven't we tortured the x-men/mutant side of Marvel enough with bad movies?? It is such a RICH storytelling opportunity!!! Why can you not see this and make a movie that is worthy of it? Okay, I am done with my rant, but seriously, the "mutant phenomena" within Marvel and essentially the American Dogma of American Mythology has been something I not only grew up with, but have studied throughout the years, and this movie really missed its mark. There is so much amazing source material they could have played from, and they just trashed it all to make some garbage that they hoped people would pay to see.

Starts small & ends big.

[TheDestroia · 8/10 · 18 September 2020]

Starts small & ends big. With an interesting backstory to each character & good special effects.

The loss of loved ones & their enduring lessons of Love was a minor theme. It truly resonated with a moment in my life which brought tears to my eyes.

I look forward to a sequel.

No way is this a 5 stars

[polf1001 · 7/10 · 16 September 2020]

This movie is not bad as other people say it to be. No way that dark phoenix and apocalypse is a better movie than this. I even enjoy this movie more than the Wolverine and X men last stand. I had a feeling that people are just boycotting this movie for the sake of it not being in the mcu and people just want the X men universe to end due to the acquisition of 20th century fox by Disney. The movie may not be perfect, but it has a good premise and I respect the director new direction to the superhero genre. I appreciate this movie more than other generic Disney marvel movies that makes me feel like I'm watching the same movie every year. This make me sad that the X-Men universe would end as Disney are unlikely to release film that are risk taking like Logan, Deadpool, and the new mutant anymore.

Not a very good movie

[adam_harris-19095 · 2/10 · 15 February 2021]

From the story, to the editing, to the acting, it wasn't good. Has our standards gone down? Is this the dribble that Hollywood considers good now? At one point, the main character (the girl) gets up from a desk and starts to speak, and her mouth isn't even saying the same thing that's being said. Just horrible editing. Which, I guess, is par for the course in this movie.

I bet it was a goblin in disguise!

[uzmuov · 1/10 · 22 February 2021]

I would like to begin my review by saying that watching this movie will be like taking a hot fork and shoving it in your eye socket for some people, whereas for others it will be the funniest F'n thing you've ever seen.

Before I get into the meat of the story or as I like to call it a double decker bologna sandwich. The New Mutants has nothing to do with mutants (just teenagers), The New Mutants also has absolutely nothing to do with X-men series. AHA but that's not all!!!! The guy who made the cover for The New Mutants didn't see ANY of the X-men films!!!! The original cover of The New Mutants has a sentinel (Not in Dark Phoenix or The New Mutants) chasing a mutant who doesn't even appear in any of the X-men movies! If that doesn't make you want to take your head and smash it against concrete, I don't know what does.

You know what...

[joshualerouxjlr · 7/10 · 4 December 2020]

It's still better than 'Dark Phoenix'.

And definitely better than DC's 'Suicide Squad'.

Disappointment...

[Thanos_Alfie · 4/10 · 1 February 2021]

"The New Mutants" is a Sci-Fi - Action movie in which we watch five young mutants held in a secret facility while they try to first discover and then control their abilities. After some time they will have to fight their hidden fears in order to save themselves.

I have to admit that I had high expectations from this movie but I was disappointed by it. The direction which was made by Josh Boone, it was below average and some times even predictable, something that made the movie boring. The interpretations of the cast followed the pattern of its direction. I have to say that I expected more from Maisie Williams who played as Rahne Sinclair because she did not reach her potential, but I can understand why. Lastly, I have to say that "The New Mutants" is a bad opening movie due to its plot, direction and the interpretations of the cast. If you want to watch this movie, i advise you to lower you standards and your expectations otherwise you will be disappointed.

Finally... but which version is that

[CobZh · 7/10 · 26 August 2020]

After 2 years, they finally released it. But with all the communication around the movie we do not know if we saw the original movie or an edited version. But whatever. I had a good time. On the good side, the actors, the respect in some aspects of the original book and the FX are ok. On the down side, we do not really know the direction of the movie. Is it horror? Is it a teen movie? Is it a superhero movie? Definitely not the latest. But here again. Whatever. The job is done. We spend a good time. And due to the chaotic journey of this movie to reach our movie theaters, that's all we wanted.

Plain Terrible

[uvcyq · 1/10 · 22 February 2021]

The movie should have been renamed Terrible - The New Mutants

"Glass" - Half Full

[bob-the-movie-man · 6/10 · 9 September 2020]

So, I've heard a lot of bad word-of-mouth about this X-Men flick, but otherwise knew very little about it. As such, I went in with low expectations. And although there is nothing remotely novel about the movie, I didn't think it was too bad at all.

The plot: So, my review title suggests that the plot is very closely aligned to M Night Shymalan's "Glass" - his "Split" sequel from last year. A Victorian-style hospital-cum-prison similarly forms the claustrophobic setting for the majority of the movie. This is where the troubled teen Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt) is taken after being suddenly orphaned in dramatic and mysterious circumstances. The only doctor present, Dr Reyes (Alice Braga), says she is being held there for her own - and society's safety - while her puberty-driven mutant tendencies emerge.

Locked away with her is Rahne (Maisie Williams), Charlie (Sam Guthrie), 'hot' Brazilian hunk Roberto (Henry Zaga) and the gloriously named Illyana Rasputin (Anya-Taylor Joy). Danni's arrival sparks a serious of escalating events that literally lead to all hell breaking loose.

Blu is the warmest colour: What made this Marvel movie stand-out for me, from the normal glass-shattering standard, is that it is predominantly a character-led piece. We spend quite a bit of time (for a Marvel movie) in building relationships between the teens, including a sweet lesbian-coming-out 'will they/won't they' tension between Rahne and Danni.

I was also very much attracted to the performance of Blu Hunt. I admit that this might not just be due to her interesting performance (the indigenous / LBGT angle is intriguing) but because she reminded me strongly of a girl at school who I had a mad crush on and completely failed to get off with! Blu is actually native American (from the Lakota tribe). Given she is the lead and has to carry the movie, it's a surprise that she is only about 5th in the billing: I'd have been upset with the director (Josh "A Fault in our Stars" Boone) about that.

Maisie Williams is also effective in this, and gets top billing, although arguably Anya-Taylor-Joy has emerged - with her wonderful "Emma" - as the bigger star since filming.

But it's Taylor-Joy's Rasputin that really stands out as the most interesting of the characters on show. There's a scene where she goes into action - eyes blazing and 'daemon' hovering - that would make a splendid PC screensaver! Stuff the "Black Widow" standalone movie: I'd go watch Illyana Rasputin kicking ass in her own follow-up movie! (Of course, Anya Taylor-Joy was also prominent in "Glass", which unfortunately cements the similarities between the films.)

The movie has had a long and tortuous path to its final release, being made waaaaaayyyyy back in 2017. As an X-Men movie, it's appeared after the X-Men universe finally imploded (with the disappointing whimper of "Dark Phoenix"). So in that sense it's a bit of a ghost of a flick.

Overall, it's a mixed bag. There's a sense of great familiarity with the contents - particularly with the strong echoes of "Glass", actually filmed after this one (but with 'inversion', who knows anymore?). Even the "Indian legend" that runs through the movie swaps a bear for a wolf but ends with a familiar, rather groan-inducing, motto. (It was used in "Tomorrowland" I think?)

But the young cast are attractive and entertained me for the (pleasantly short) running time. It's not going to win any prizes for originality, or indeed anything else. But it really wasn't the X-Men bust I expected it to be.

(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies on t'interweb or Facebook. Thanks.)

I thought it was great.

[amybourque · 9/10 · 2 July 2022]

I didn't know until reading the reviews that it was supposed to be a horror movie. It's not, wasn't scary a bit. So I can understand someone thinking that it was horror giving a bad review.

Now, if you take horror out of the review process and just watch the movie, it's really enjoyable. I love the relationship between Rayne and Dani. I wish we could have gotten more about Rayne's background story. Illy was my favorite character. I hope if X Men continues that they include her. I would have liked more background on all the kids. I think they were trying to leave an opening for a second movie which would have hopefully answered a lot of questions.

Buckle up

[beanyboy_m · 7/10 · 10 September 2020]

Ok so here we go This film has a lot of hype and so far hasn't lived up to it but

For me it defo does The powers are new and well shown the story is steady and gets the job done also each character is acted to their best

For me this is my 2nd favourite film linked to xmen after Logan

Much better that expected

[bastos · 7/10 · 22 April 2022]

This was a very pleasant surprise. I'm not a big fan of The Fault in Our Stars, the X-Men franchise was figuratively and literally in life support, the production was a nightmare, the reviews were terrible, even Covid seemed to conspire against this movie. I was, obviously, expecting the worse, but once in a while there's a movie where I think the whole world has gone insane. What I saw was a solid but very different super hero movie. I was surprised with the quality of the direction and the whole production and I must say I really liked the idea of making a horror version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with a super hero backdrop. Granted there are some pacing issues and it takes a while for something to happen, but I much prefer trying to go for something different and fail than to watch the same movie over and over again. The cast was OK, with Anya Taylor-Joy having the best character, and as I've said before, she can do no wrong. The ending is a bit formulaic but I think it was earned and I would gladly see more movies with this particular team. Watch it with an open mind.