The superhero bait-and-switch
The biggest trap with The New Mutants is the branding. If your teenager sees the Marvel logo or hears "X-Men," they expect a specific rhythm: training montages, witty banter, and a big CGI battle where the good guys save a city. This movie refuses to do any of that. It’s a bottle film—almost the entire thing takes place inside a crumbling, dimly lit hospital.
Instead of fighting supervillains, the characters are fighting their own memories. The "action" here is psychological. When their powers manifest, they don't get cool costumes; they get terrifying hallucinations of the people they’ve hurt or the traumas they’ve survived. It’s a grimy experience that feels more like A Nightmare on Elm Street than Captain America. If you have a kid who loves the bright, optimistic energy of the MCU, this will feel like a cold shower.
Why the horror doesn't quite land
The film tries to occupy a middle ground that doesn't really exist. It’s too scary for the 10-year-olds who want to see cool powers, but it’s too tame for actual horror fans. Because it’s trapped in a PG-13 box, the scares often rely on creepy imagery—think tall, faceless men and charred corpses—without the payoff or tension of a true horror masterpiece.
Critics were famously harsh on this one, and the 37% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects a movie that feels like it was edited by a committee that couldn't decide what it wanted to be. We get long stretches of teen angst that feel like a CW drama, interrupted by bursts of genuine dread. It’s jarring. If your teen is a horror aficionado, they’ll likely find the "scary" parts derivative. If they’re new to the genre, they might find them haunting in a way that lingers longer than you’d like.
Who is this actually for?
There is a very specific type of viewer who might actually dig this: the teen who feels like an outcast and prefers the darker, "emo" side of sci-fi. The chemistry between the lead characters is the best part of the movie, specifically the relationship between two of the girls. It’s one of the few times a superhero movie has handled an LGBTQ+ romance without making it a "very special episode" or a background Easter egg. It feels authentic and grounded, providing a much-needed heart to an otherwise bleak story.
If your kid liked Stranger Things for the "kids against the world" vibe but can handle a much more cynical tone, they might find something to like here. But if you’re looking for a family movie night pick that leaves everyone feeling hyped, this isn't it. For a much more rewarding look at the messy realities of growing up and the legacies we leave behind—though in a completely different, much more hilarious context—you might find our parent's guide to The Good Life a better use of your streaming time.
The "past sins" problem
The movie leans heavily on the idea that these kids are "dangerous" because of what they’ve done, not just what they can do. One character is haunted by the death of a parent; another is tormented by a history of abuse. It’s heavy lifting for a superhero flick.
If you do decide to watch it, be ready for the "trauma as a monster" conversation. The film posits that you can’t run from your past; you have to face it down. It’s a solid message, but it’s buried under so much clutter and jump-scares that the takeaway might get lost. In the end, The New Mutants is a fascinating relic of a transition period in film history—a bold experiment that ultimately proved why mixing teen trauma and jump-scares requires a much steadier hand than this production had.
