Originally expected to debut in 2018, The New Mutants has opened in movie theaters worldwide as one of the first major Hollywood releases in the face of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, as professional reviews for the film have begun to trickle in, Fox's final film in its X-Men Cinematic Universe appears to have closed the franchise on a decidedly low note.
The film currently has a paltry professional critics' score of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a verified audience score of 56% at the time of this writing, as the movie heads into its opening weekend. While this score is certain to change over the course of the weekend, with many critics sitting out of public screenings due to them reportedly not taking heightened health cautions, it sets a fundamentally disappointing bar for the film right out the gate.
The New Mutants currently holds the dubious distinction of being one of the lowest scoring films in the X-Men franchise, right behind last year's Dark Phoenix, which had a critics score of 22%. Other low scoring films on the site include 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse at 47% and 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine at 37%.
Originally slated for an April 2018 release, The New Mutants was delayed in the midst of planned reshoots and Disney's acquisition of Fox. Following the acquisition, plans for the reshoots were quietly dropped, with the film rescheduled for its current August 2020 release date.
The revised synopsis for The New Mutants can be found below.
In this terrifying, action-fueled film based on the MARVEL comic series, five young people who demonstrate special powers are brought to a secret institution to undergo treatments they are told will cure them of the dangers of their powers. Included are Danielle Moonstar aka Mirage (Blu Hunt), who creates illusions from other people’s fears; Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), who transforms into the werewolf Wolfsbane; Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton), who, as Cannonball, can fly at jet speeds protected by a force field; Roberto da Costa aka Sunspot (Henry Zaga), who absorbs and channels solar power; and Illyana Rasputin aka Magik (Anya Taylor-Joy). The younger sister of Colossus, Magik becomes encased in armor at will and wields a soulsword that amplifies her multiple superhuman and psychic abilities. Invited by Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga) to share their stories about when their powers first manifested, the five “patients” come to understand that they are in a class of people called mutants, who have historically been marginalized and feared. As they relive their origin stories, their memories seem to turn into terrifying realities. Soon, they question what is real and what isn’t, and it becomes clear that the institution isn’t what it seems. Now the question is — why are they being held captive? And who is trying to destroy them? The tension and horror mount in this white-knuckle thrill ride directed by Josh Boone and co-written by Boone and Knate Lee.
The New Mutants also stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Illyana Rasputin/Magik, Charlie Heaton as Sam Guthrie/Cannonball, Henry Zaga as Roberto da Costa/Sunspot, Blu Hunt as Danielle Moonstar/Mirage and Alice Braga as Dr. Cecilia Reyes. After two years of delays, the film is in theaters now.