After the awful X-Men Dark Phoenix (review link), we noted in that review the inconsistency of the franchise since it launched 20 years ago with the surprisingly good 1st instalment. But taking a more horror angle, will this final ever X-Men be the swansong that Dark Phoenix so underwhelmingly missed?

Director Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) has brought together some of the best young actors (now a lot older with more films and TV under their belt) to tell the story of a cast of misfit mutants being held in an institution.

Right off the bat there’s some obvious familiarity with the story. Similar narratives have been seen multiple times in other X-films either in whole or part including X-Men 3, Logan and Wolverine where children were trapped in a re-education institution for their own safety.

Shot at the same state hospital used for Shutter Island, the menacing location hosts a group of potentially dangerous teenage mutants who have yet to discover and/or control their pubescent powers.

Blu Hunt plays Dani Moonstar, a mutant who finds herself in an institution run by doctor Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga) and she joins other “residents” including Maisie Williams who shoulders religious guilt but can turn into a wolf, Anya Taylor-Joy as Russian Illyana Rasputin who can manifest swords and teleports, and Charlie Heaton is Sam Guthrie who has propulsion abilities. Rounding out the gang, Henry Zaga is Roberto Costa, a mutant who can manipulate flames.

The young (at the time) actors do well with the limited material – discovering their powers and themselves – but the film is frontloaded with over an hour of character interactions. However, this is without any particularly interesting drama, tension or real development. A sprinkling of horror during that time would have given the film some much needed jumps akin to IT: Chapter 1.

A same-sex relationship between Hunt and Williams is handled sensitively but like the horror angle, it’s an interesting theme that doesn’t get properly explored.

How can the concept of “X-Men horror” be so boring? And after 3 years how can this be the best cut? Its highs are better than the bland Dark Phoenix and the appearance of some sharp-toothed Slendermen and a “Demon Bear” (you heard right) are fun frights that arrive far too late in the proceedings.

One positive is the Anya Taylor Joy, one of my personal favourite actresses who gets the bulk of the film’s most interesting premises and action but it's mostly devoid of any real thrills and without the horror-element the teaser excitingly promised. In the end, it’s a humungous understatement that The New Mutants fumbles its unique concept and is a wasted opportunity to jump into a dark genre.