The New Mutants, 2020.
Directed by Josh Boone.
Starring Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, Henry Zaga, and Alice Braga.
SYNOPSIS:
Five gifted teenagers including Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), Illyana Rasputin (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton) are isolated in a research facility. Dr. Reyes (Alice Braga) is there to help them open up about their experiences and understand the power they possess.
This latest and last entry in the X-Men franchise prior to Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox is solid. It may not feel completely connected to that wider world but in all honesty this is no bad thing. Isolation, experimentation and envelope pushing tonal darkness are key to the successes inherent within this iteration.
Ignoring anything beyond the boundaries of their single location, director Josh Boone is able to concentrate on building relationships, hinting at individual powers and exploring psychological suffering. Our four principle players all put in grounded performances which embrace the trauma that defines them, without making it feel like a repeat of other franchise moments. Maisie Williams and Anya Taylor-Joy are the standouts providing depth without leaning too much into their chosen mutations. Something which the film as a whole benefits from and proves beneficial for all concerned. Charlie Heaton best known for his turn in Stranger Things and Blu Hunt’s Dani Moonstar also put in tortured turns, but get less opportunity to scenery chew than their contemporaries.
If The New Mutants lacks anything it would be a tangible threat. Alice Braga’s Doctor Reyes is merely a puppet being manipulated by outside forces. She is little more than a babysitter to these hyper advanced individuals, over which someone somewhere has given her dominance. Thankfully her lack of development beyond a stereotypical ne’er do well and transparent plot device fail to distract too much.
Anya Taylor-Joy, who came to prominence recently with The Queen’s Gambit exudes confidence, has a cool on screen persona and cloaks her fragility with menace throughout. Aloof, indifferent and cocky her defence mechanism is worn like a battle scar for all to see. As a counterpoint the withdrawn and introverted display from Maisie Williams is equally intrinsic to the success of this film. Her Rahne Sinclair represents much of the heart here, as someone cursed by something which has meant expulsion from every society on the basis of fear and ignorance.
As The New Mutants unfolds its focuses on unresolved childhood trauma making it inherently human, undeniably engaging and a million miles away from abominations like Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand. This film limits set pieces, hones character and makes story paramount. For all the delays, all the negative word of mouth and Disney shenanigans this is a much better film than most will expect. It may be no Logan but there are at least hints of the same cloth in its construction. For many this might not be the swan song everyone wanted before Marvel stepped in, but neither does it feel like the cinematic equivalent of a death rattle either.
THE NEW MUTANTS is available on digital now, and on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on 4th January 2021.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Martin Carr
