Bong Joon-ho Examines the Exploitation of Humanity: ‘Mickey 17’

Inside you there are two wolves – or, in Mickey 17’s case, two Robert Pattinson variants. After various delays and schedule shifts, Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to the award-winning Parasite is finally here! Full of a unique comedic style and subtle nihilistic observation, Mickey 17 wants you to question what truly makes up a person.

An adaptation of Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey 7, the feature film follows Mickey Barnes (Pattinson) alongside his friend Timo (Steven Yeun) as they set course on a spaceship headed to Nilfheim. Their failed macaron business venture has them on the run from a moneylender who will stop at nothing to collect their debt. As anyone in their right mind would do, they realize that there’s nowhere on Earth they can hide; Timo takes a job as a pilot, while Mickey signs up to be an expendable. Unsure of what exactly that entails but thrilled by the possibility of living far away from a loan shark determined to cut him up into little pieces, he’s more than willing to play along. 

In Mickey 17‘s not-so-distant future, space exploration searches for a new planet to inhabit. Since the expendables program was banned on Earth, the colony conducts it in outer space. Essentially, when one Mickey dies while performing a dangerous task, the program prints another one. The new version of himself is a copy of his body at the exact condition when he began the program; every week, his memories are collected, to ensure there are no gaps in his personality. So the program ensures that Mickey dies time and time again – either from space radiation or a nasty aerial virus – he is reborn as a clone. 

Through the exploitation of Mickey’s life to ensure the survival of those looking to colonize this new planet, Bong Joon-ho analyzes the exact cost of a human life. Is it akin to the trolley problem? Is one life less significant than several? But there’s also the matter of the twisted perspective at the helm of this venture: Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), a failed politician determined to guarantee that the colony survives. Ruffalo plays him as a Trump-type with zero regard for anything he considers beneath himself. 

This, in turn, allows the movie to quickly become a center for parody, one that thrives in genuinely comedic moments and shows its audience criticism of current immigration policies around the world. It may rub some the wrong way, but that is the purpose of the film. If some tidbits feel silly, consider them a testament to how current social patterns have become increasingly disappointing, foolish, and potentially dangerous.

Throughout it all, many people ask Mickey, What does it feel like to die? While Mickey is peeved by the barrage of the same question, he realizes that while he does perish on numerous occasions, he’s always able to come back. The definition of mortality, already stretched into a new meaning, is then questioned further when Mickey 17 is falsely reported dead. By the time he makes his way back to his room, the colony has already printed Mickey 18. 

While the 17th iteration is quite the pushover, the 18th is a time bomb, unpredictable and oftentimes irrational. He serves as a direct foil to 17, who is quick to forgive and forget, while 18 refuses to allow abuse to blossom and bloom. When asked about his inspiration for the characters, Pattinson shared Bong’s recommendation that he watch anime, and focused on the general nature of how characters can often go from zero to one-hundred in a single frame. 

In the middle of it all is Nasha Barridge (Naomi Ackie). Mickey falls for her from the start, and while sexual intercourse is banned on the ship, that doesn’t stop them. She’s there for him through thick and thin – and Nasha doesn’t care about just one Mickey; she cares for all of them. At times, this leads to Challengers-worthy suggestive scenes, and adds to the fun of Bong’s most recent genre-defying venture. 

Full of laughs, audacious indignation, and action-packed moments of heroism, Mickey 17 accomplishes what it most likely set out to do. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, many will find comfort in the storytelling and especially in the performances. Pattinson works out his acting chops playing opposite himself, in the process giving two equally impressive renditions. That being said, Ackie completely steals the show, concluding in a chill-inducing climax. In addition to all this, the character design for the alien inhabitants is surprisingly adorable and enthralling. 

While caricaturistic, Mickey 17 works best in its emboldened mission of poking fun at the absurd nature of today’s political leaders. Caught in the crossfire of parody and drama, there’s a little bit for every viewer in Bong Joon-ho’s latest. 

Rating: 8/10

Mickey 17 hits theaters in the US on March 7, 2025.