The New Mutants it is a film that found itself undergoing a very complicated gestation which in the end led to the realization of a film in which director Josh Boone was unable - or unable - to impress his idea in the vast world of cinecomics. As we know, this film released by the section 20th Century Studios di Walt Disney Company was originally expected in cinemas for 2018 but, due to several postponements due to replacements, new shootings, the famous acquisition of the same year previously mentioned and even a global pandemic, in the end the production only landed in theaters in the September 2020. Unfortunately this not really the best time for the world of cinema, both Spanish and American, demonstrating how Disney wanted in some way get rid of a burden which it had to carry on its shoulders after the various commercial agreements previously made.
Something must have gone wrong…
The New Mutants by Josh Boone (known for directing Stuck in Love and Fault in the Stars) tells of a girl named Dani which, after a mysterious natural catastrophic event, finds itself inside a psychiatric hospital for mutants along with four other problematic guysthe. Initially it seems to be a rather quiet place where young mutants are rehabilitated in order to then be able to live normal lives, but over time a dark secret of those walls is revealed. The New Mutants then features a cast of not even ten people in total, with even the less time for a film of the X-Men saga being alone 94 minutes. This obviously is not a reason that affects its actual quality, but it shows how in this version they are present different cuts of scenes and actors from the original production. The whole it is still watchable even in this version, but the further you go the more you get that feeling that miss something. Somehow, however, Disney has failed to completely erase the references to previous films in this vast universe which, according to the statements of the American multinational, ends precisely with this production. In any case, in the course of events we can still hear and see direct links to the previous films of the film saga, among which it is also possible to notice real scenes taken from that Logan of 2017.
As for the actors present, they all knew how to show off a good job of interpretation even if no one ever reaches excellence. However, we must admit that certain sub-plots are well developed, as well as the report that grows between them, in the style of the most classic teen drama. Unfortunately, despite the good writing of certain dialogues, much of what we are told in the course of the events does not fully convince, especially due to long sequences that in the end do not bring nothing substantial in the narrative complex of this The New Mutants. The photograph of Peter Deming instead he does a painstaking job, managing to produce a success sense of distress in various scenes, although there are some much more questionable moments. The soundtrack of Mark Snow, on the other hand, it proves to be up to the supposed tone of the film, not memorable but capable of immersing the viewer in the atmosphere of the film. An honorable mention, however, goes to the design of the enemies present, especially the smiley man, capable of offering a palpable sense of restlessness and threat even in a product where the protagonists possess real superpowers. On the other hand, unfortunately, some special effects are not fully convincing, returning an almost alienating situation between visually very well done scenes flanked by moments where the work appears to be really low-level.
The New Mutants therefore presents itself as the prologue to one story that cannot be told, something that would like to see this group of guys mature over time to build their team. This "first chapter", however, had the arduous task of ending a film franchise that it was not supposed to end here, since in the director's original plans the film should have been the beginning of a trilogy with these young heroes as protagonists. This was not the case, and in the end we end up with a production that tries to be both psychological horror and teen drama without succeeding, unable to make us feel the right empathy for his characters and his story. However, we must admit that the ideas behind the work stand out and they can be felt strongly. Unfortunately, the director found several wings plugged for the most disparate reasons, with the film being so heavily affected in its overall quality. For the sake of completeness, we point out that the cast is made up of actors such as Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Henry Zaga, Blu Hunt and Happy Anderson.
