Thomas Storai 
Thomas grabs some popcorn and checks out Marvel’s The New Mutants
The New Mutants was first set to release in 2018 then was delayed to 2019 then to April 2020 and it was finally released on August 26 in France in cinemas with other countries following in the coming days. You could say this was a doomed movie and it felt like this for a long time and that’s without mentioning the countless rumors of reshoots that made it seem like it was a catastrophe. Because let’s not forget that reshoots are totally normal, that happens in every movie, it’s not a bad thing.
The New Mutants | 20th Century Studios
The recent trailers and TV spot got me excited for the movie without really knowing what to expect. Josh Boone the movie director said it’s a comic book movie like no other and I have to say that’s exactly what it is! It surprised me in a lot of good ways.
The New Mutants really is like no other comic book movie for several reasons. It’s the first time a comic book movie has a claustrophobic atmosphere similar to horror movies. 99% of the story takes place in that hospital where the mutants are and it is one creepy place for sure. It has this asylum feel that brings a lot of shivers. Even the daylight scenes, it is a scary place, at night it’s even worse. You obviously soon realize this isn’t a hospital but a prison and as you have seen in the trailers, it has a dome all over it so our heroes can’t escape. So I love the atmosphere of the movie and its cinematography. It borrows from the horror movies and plays with it but it stays in the superhero genre.
This movie also borrows from the teen coming-of-age genre in the way it deals with its characters. The best way I could describe it is The Breakfast Club meets the superhero genre. That’s a great mix that gives beautiful results. Josh Boone knows his classics and how to use them. The Breakfast Club featured 5 teenagers, all with a different personality, who are stuck for detention where they get to become friends. Here, The New Mutants features 5 teenage mutants, all with a different personality, stuck in a prison/hospital/asylum for mutants where they eventually learn to help each other and become friends.
Each character has a different personality and different powers and each faces different troubles. Rahne Sinclair (played by Maisie Williams) can turn into a wolf and is having trouble reconciling with her religious beliefs. Illyana Rasputin (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) has magic powers and is mentally insane partly because of her childhood trauma. Roberto Da Costa (played by Henry Zaga) can turn into fire. He is pretending to be a womanizer while he is struggling with harnessing his powers that burnt his girlfriend. Sam Guthrie (played by Charlie Heaton) has super speed and is facing guilt over the death of his father and his team in the mines. Finally, Danielle Moonstar (played by Blu Hunt) is trying to figure out what her powers are. She can actually create illusions based on someone’s greatest fears.
Danielle is the lead of the movie and her casting symbolizes the making of history because she is the first Native American to be cast in the lead in a comic book film! I think that was the best choice for the lead as she is the one discovering her powers and the mutant experience while all the others already know their powers and are rather struggling with their personal troubles. All the characters are interesting and compelling, you get easily attached to them. The cast’s great performances play a lot into it as well. Boone picked a talented cast with some who already have a strong fanbase like Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton who are both from hit shows (Game of Thrones and Stranger Things). So I think this can definitely draw the audience to see the movie!
Because this movie takes place in a closed space, it allows the story to fully be character-driven and that’s one of its biggest strengths. The New Mutants is actually the first comic book film featuring a same-sex love story between two of its main characters – Danielle and Rahne. I have to applaud Josh Boone for that! It’s the LGBTQ+ representation we deserve. Birds of Prey already did good in terms of LGBTQ+ representation at least way better than previous blockbuster movies but The New Mutants did so much better and it definitely made history. They didn’t make hints at the sexual orientation of this or that character, they actually featured a love story and same-sex kisses. I hope it’s not the last comic book film to do that because we definitely need more representation, now more than ever. Kevin Feige has said repeatedly that The Eternals will feature a gay superhero and a gay kiss but that remains to be seen if that character is actually the main character or just a secondary one. I absolutely love how Boone wrote this love story, it’s really beautiful!
The last thing I want to mention is the score. It is a nicely done score that fits with the atmosphere of the movie. It brings you shivers but it also brings emotions where it’s needed.
Final Thoughts
The New Mutants is a scary and thrilling movie with a character-driven story featuring compelling and complex characters played by a great cast. It’s The Breakfast Club meets the superhero genre, it doesn’t get any better than this! It also features a beautiful same-sex love story, it was about time we got LGBTQ+ representation like this in the comic book film genre!
The New Mutants is directed by Josh Boone and written by Josh Boone and Knate Lee. It stars Blu Blunt, Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, and Alice Braga and is playing in cinemas now.
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Thomas Storai is the Senior Collectables Correspondent for Future of the Force. He is passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and a wide range of movies. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasStorai where he uses the force frequently!
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Collectables Editor at Future Of The Force.
Star Wars and Marvel specialist, anime expert
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