Another under-seen film, 2020's "The New Mutants" underperformed due to a mix of bad buzz, studio machinations and COVID-19 quarantines. But don't let the history books fool you — it's a solid watch for anyone wanting a superhero film that isn't afraid to embrace a dark tone.
After a tornado destroys her reservation, Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt) wakes up in a nearly-abandoned hospital staffed only by Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga). Dr. Reyes explains that Dani was brought to the hospital because she has mutant genes and abilities. The hospital is home to four other teen mutants as well: Rahne (Maisie Williams), Illyana (Anya-Taylor Joy), Sam (Charlie Heaton), and Bobby (Henry Zaga), all being trained by Dr. Reyes. At first, the group believes they're being initiated into the X-Men, but they slowly discover that something more sinister is afoot.
Every movie in Fox's "X-Men" universe features teen heroes to some degree, but "The New Mutants" is the only one to put them at the center of the action. The film also broke the mold by playing with horror elements and focusing on character-driven storytelling rather than epic action set pieces. Now that the X-Men will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's unlikely that "The New Mutants" will get a sequel, but it remains a uniquely entertaining teen superhero movie.
