Mickey 17 Review: A New Vision by Bong Joon-ho!
Science fiction has always been a path for filmmakers and even authors to explore the fears of change, scientific exploration, and power of technology over humans for centuries. Oftentimes, very modern issues being faced as a society find their way into science fiction works to document the fears of a current generation in time. Because of its life changing impact on society, a dramatic tone is often utilized to outline how humans must discover when to evolve and when to take a step back. Mickey 17, Bong Joon-ho’s most recent film since the international success of Parasite, considers the possibility of living on a new planet and using human beings as printed copies for scientific discovery. In true Bong Joon-ho style, Mickey 17 takes on a wide variety of themes and concepts that mesh together in a comedic fashion with a standout performance by Robert Pattinson.
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What happens when a power hungry politician is rejected from the office they wish to serve? They attempt to create their own civilization on another planet in order to be the kind of leader they desire to be, of course. Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) has had enough of losing elections on Earth and decides to go on a space exploration to the planet Nilfheim to develop his own force of brainwashed citizens who see him as a true leader.
Mickey Barnes, along with others, see an opportunity to aid in their financial lows and follow Marshall to Nilfheim, volunteering as an expendable, a human whose job is to die routinely and be reprinted in the name of scientific discovery. On a routine mission, Mickey 17 is presumed dead only to be reprinted as Mickey 18. Only problem is Mickey 17 survives and finds his way back on the ship, meeting Mickey 18 in the process. WIth rules in place to exterminate any form of duplicates, Mickey 17 and 18 must keep themselves a secret from Kenneth, their girlfriend Nasha (Naomi Ackie) and the rest of the crew.
Robert Pattinson, Bong Joon Ho, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Ackie, and Toni Collette guess which film in their filmography has been four favorited by Letterboxd members the most.
Mickey 17 will be released in theaters on March 7 via @warnerbros. pic.twitter.com/9i3bAl7I6g
— Letterboxd (@letterboxd) March 4, 2025
Mickey 17’s premise is fairly straightforward on the surface but Bong Joon-ho has a number of surprises up his sleeve covering death, colonization, and war within a new kind of black comedy. Other filmmakers may have developed Mickey 17 as a Black Mirror-esque tale that explored the fear of the future but Joon-ho has always maintained a unique style of filmmaking and storytelling, surpassing expectations of traditional storyboarding.
He has an act for stockpiling a lot within his films that allows for prolonged discussion afterwards while also entertaining audiences to the nth degree. Where most of it lands, even if it feels a little too bloated at times, Bong Joon-ho is without a doubt one of the most engaging filmmakers working today. His ability to take a science fiction novel and alter its tone to outline the hypocrisy of political leaders and the dehumanization of those less powerful in a black comedy genre shows his talent for adapting stories to film.
There is a lot to take in watching Mickey 17 but Joon-ho harnesses themes that feel modern but prove to be universal in the scope of human history. Mickey being copied and literally being treated as an expendable human being mirrors this constant cycle in history of evolving in some ways only to always resort back to corruption and faith in weak men as our chosen leaders. Mark Ruffalo’s portrayal of Kenneth Marshall is another realistic look at these new leaders who emerge who are just carbon copies of history repeating itself. He always takes on dehumanization of human beings as it pertains to them being used as pawns for those who are more powerful.
Mickey’s got a job to do. Get tickets now for #Mickey17 – only in theaters this Friday. https://t.co/vzT1ImWBD3 pic.twitter.com/UoF6IIr5v7
— Mickey 17 (@Mickey17Movie) March 4, 2025
This is seen in the way Mickey is treated and the way the “Creepers,” creatures living on the planet Nilfheim, are treated by those who see them as nothing more than being to be exterminated for the sake of the human race. Bong Joon-ho also highlights the vision of war in which those who wish to colonize wage it upon those simply inhibiting where they wish to take over. This often creates a false narrative of war where the “villains” are painted as threats when defending their land is their only goal. Mickey 17’s commentary is all within Bong Joon-ho’s scope of expertise as seen through his previous films. However, his fusion using Robert Pattinson’s performance with its hard hitting topics make for a pleasurable viewing experience.
When so much is jam packed in a film’s script, it becomes difficult to maintain strong links between the many parallels being created. Bong Joon-ho does a decent job connecting all the dots, even if the film feels a little disjointed at times. Although there are scenes and mentions of the creepers in the first half of the film, Mickey 17’s focus seems to be on Pattinson’s character’s many copies and the obstacles he faces trying to hide his duplicate. While this idea is maintained throughout, the film does a bit of a 180 to dive into the deeper political and scientific themes as it pertains to the creepers and colonization.
Mickey’s situation is never abandoned but the film feels a little split in its ideas, creating a divisive split in the script rather than a continuation of its ideas throughout. Regardless, Mickey 17 is a new vision by Bong Joon-ho that encapsulates his creativity and intellect as it pertains to history and humanity.
‘Mickey 17’ Rating – 3.5/5
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