Mickey 17 (South Korea and USA, 2025)
Original title: Mickey 17
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Screenplay: Bong Joon-ho, based on the work of Edward Ashton
Main cast: Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo and Daniel Henshall
Running time: 139 minutes
Directing anything after the cultural phenomenon that was Parasite (2019) must be both a blessing and a curse. That’s because, while you have access to big budgets and benefits like the final cut, expectations about your work more than triple. Thus, by deciding to make his next film a science fiction comedy, Bong Joon-ho may even bring some new viewers to this film genre, but he will hardly be able to make them love the film.
The mood of the film is already explained in its opening scenes, which show Mickey 17’s (Robert Pattinson) problem in a long flashback. He introduces us to the entire universe in which the film’s reality is anchored, as well as the human-printing technology that allows a new version of him to be printed every time Mickey dies. The conflict comes from the fact that one of the times they think he died, he didn’t. So, we have Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 existing at the same time, there’s a problem about which memories to use, and one of them will have to die.
There’s no doubt that Bong Joon-ho is an extraordinary director, and in this film he uses the most diverse references of the science fiction genre to create something new and fun. There are moments that remind us of Starship Troopers (1997) and its almost juvenile humor, while there are also elements of the complex Arrival (2016). But fortunately, instead of creating a meaningless patchwork, something original is created, both due to the incredible visuals and the talent of the director and screenwriter in creating typical characters. He even uses these types, such as that of the populist governor Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), to create layers of humor and contradictions, such as portraying him as insecure and dependent on his wife.
Still, the one who shines the most in the film is Robert Pattinson, who has to act with himself several times as Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 meet. In addition to the clear personality change already proposed in the script, the actor managed to bring physicality to this change of role, in addition to sharp and sometimes frightening voice work. Even with a huge cast full of stars, the performance that remains in the memory for days on end is Pattinson’s.
The visuals created for the work are also very sharp, combining incredible photography with an imagined caricature universe full of details and nuances. For a science fiction fan, it’s incredible to see the amount of elements added, from the design of the spaceship to the process of printing people. There’s no doubt that these elements give more dimension to the film and make the entire experience more believable (within the reality created by the film, obviously).
There’s also a thematic rhyme with two films by the same director, Snowpiercer (2013) and Okja (2017), with the portrayal of human beings as the worst thing in the world, even within fantastic or futuristic scenarios. In fact, this is a maxim that’s present in all of his films to varying degrees, with only a few arcs redeeming some of his characters, generally driven by a strong feeling such as love or friendship.
Although, due to the way the narrative is constructed, the film becomes a bit long in its second act, it will certainly entertain those who go to the cinema with an open mind. However, for those expecting a new Parasite, the surprise will unfortunately be negative.
