Five teens with new mutant powers are locked in a remote facility under Dr. Cecilia Reyes. They are Cheyenne survivor Danielle Moonstar, Scottish werewolf Rahne Sinclair, Russian sorceress Illyana Rasputin, Kentucky flier Sam Guthrie, and Brazilian solar mutant Roberto da Costa. Visions of their worst traumas come alive around them. The movie is young adult horror more than a costume superhero show. Guilt, control of powers, and escape from a secret Essex program drive the plot.
The main emotional story is a lesbian romance between Dani and Rahne. They kiss, protect each other, and hold hands at the end. Rahne also carries Catholic guilt, and a priest branded her as a witch. Identity politics are not given as group lectures. Personal trauma and the queer couple are what stand out on screen and in the marketing. The same sex romance is the main character spine of the film.
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Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The New Mutants.
Woke representation / casting
The cast is racially and culturally mixed. It has an Indigenous lead, a Latina mentor, a Brazilian Sunspot, and three young women among the five teens. Those roles largely match the comics, and Fox sought ethnically fitting actors. Marketing still sold Native and LGBTQ visibility as historic firsts.
32%
Woke political dialogue
There are almost no activist speeches about racism, patriarchy, or modern identity politics. Talk centers on fear, guilt, powers, and escape. Faith language appears in confession and prayer talk, but not as campaign-style political messaging.
12%
Identity-driven story themes
Dani and Rahne’s same-sex romance is the main character spine, with kisses, protective bond, and a closing hand-hold. The director called it the focus of the character-driven material. It is not a blink-and-miss side beat. Queer identity is front and center for this release.
78%
Western institutional / cultural critique
A Catholic priest who beat and branded Rahne is a central horror figure, and church space is tied to fear and violence. Faith outlets flagged anti-Catholic imagery. Essex is a secret corporate medical program and stock conspiracy villainy, not a long modern anti-capitalist lecture.
50%
Woke character or canon changes
The film makes Dani and Rahne an explicit romantic couple. Comics had a close telepathic friendship and queer-coded readings, but classic runs did not confirm them as a lesbian pair. Press framed the film pairing as turning subtext into clear representation. Other changes read as ordinary adaptation.
58%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
There was no big mainstream wave calling the film too woke. Conservative and Christian viewers did object to the same-sex romance, the priest villain, and a shoehorned queer plot. Those complaints were real but niche next to quality and delay talk.
20%
Creator track record context
Cached scores for the named creatives are mostly low. Lauren Shuler Donner scores higher for progressive causes and female-led X-Men interest. The overall bench is not a hard activist roster. Progressive framing sits more in this film’s content and interviews than in a long identity-politics filmography.
18%
Production
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