The New Mutants (2020), based on a Marvel comic from the 1980s, is a movie about a diverse group of young super hero mutants. Throughout this film, these mutants must escape a sinister Dr. Reyes claiming to “help” them in a strange hospital. The New Mutants appears to take place in the 80’s; however, there are scenes clearly from the 2020s.
To begin this story, these youngsters are indefinitely detained at an ominous hospital. On top of that, these minors don’t seem to be informed on their detention till after they are admitted to the hospital. They only way they can leave is if they obey Dr. Reyes. To make sure the mutants don’t escape, the scary hospital has invisible walls around it.
Moreover, the new mutants have no right of privacy. Unlike ordinary citizens of the US, they lack this basic constitutional right of privacy in this institution. That is, cameras watch them 24/7, including when they sleep.
What’s more, the new mutants are trapped in this hospital with demons. “We’re trapped in here with demons, and you want us to stay trapped!” Roberto de Costa, a new mutant, says to Dr. Reyes, the doctor responsible for the mutants at the hospital.
Aside, this movie sees the Reavers return from first appearing in the movie Logan. In some scenes, we see the Reavers appear like at the secret biotech research Essex Corporation located in Mexico. We see many scenes of the Reavers killing mutant children in this film.
As well, this movie exposes an evil side of the Roman Catholic church. In one scene, we see a Roman Catholic cardinal torture Rayne. In another scene, we see this priest burn Rayne with the mark of a witch. This is a hidden side of the Roman Catholic church.
Notably, this new mutants movie introduces us to Illyana Rusputin aka Magik, a mutant who can teleport. In one scene, Illyana warns the other mutants of Dani Moonstar’s power: “She’s in our heads. She’ll kill us all.”
Throughout this movie, Dr. Reyes uses the pretext of helping young mutants all the while doing away with them when she’s finished her scientific research.
“You’re the most powerful mutant we have had, but my superiors believe your powers cannot be controlled,” says Dr. Reyes to Dani Moonstar, a mutant who can make people’s worse fears happen.
Moreover, Dr. Reyes reveals her personal responsibility to the new mutants, even if it means killing them.
“Tonight, I would like to talk about responsibility. You have a responsibility to your treatment. I want all of you to go to your rooms right now. If you disobey, or if you try to leave this facility, I have a responsibility to stop you. No matter what it takes,” says Dr. Reyes to the group.
After professing all along to help the mutants throughout the film, Dr. Reyes is going to kill them. “Dani needs to be put down. She takes your greatest fear, darkest secret and makes you live through it over and over and over until it kills you,” says a psycho Dr. Reyes.
Because society often doesn’t understand mutants, they are hidden from society; however, the people keeping mutants from society often are mutant killers. “New mutants are dangerous. And they need to be sequestered from average humans. For their safety and ours.” reveals Dr. Reyes to Dani.
One lesson The New Mutants teaches us is keep your secret powers a secret. Because if you had powers and showed off, people might resent you and rally against you. They might convince others you are a danger. As well, they might hunt you down, all because you showed off your powers and weren’t thinking about consequences. That being said, never reveal your powers, or for that matter, your identity.
Without saying it, in the background of this movie, is the larger issue of the Mutant Registration Act. Because of reckless mutants and super heroes, Congress passed this Act for the safety of society by getting mutants and super heroes to register their powers. It’s this Mutant Registration Act that provides the basis for a future civil war between mutants, super heroes, and society.
It should be mentioned, the concept of congressional oversight or even the word “oversight” is absent in the US Constitution; therefore, the Mutant Registration Act may be unconstitutional. With that, congressional oversight appears no where in Article 1, Section 8, which outlines congressional enumerated powers, although oversight may be an implied power. Given this fact, the constitutionality of all Senate hearings regarding mutants may be at issue. Further, the constitutionality of all mutant investigations may be unclear. The US Constitution is silent on the matter of congressional oversight.
In summary, I enjoyed this movie. I was a fan of the Marvel comic of the same name, and the movie does a good job in my opinion. Also, I liked the part about those using a pretext to help us, but really want to kill us, because this kind of thing is so true. Plus, the Mutant Registration Act was a good tie in, since this is how society will come after those it wants to hurt. I recommend this movie if you are a New Mutants fan.
