What happens when you’re both expendable and irreplaceable? Bong Joon Ho turns that question into a brutal, absurd, and strangely heartfelt sci-fi odyssey.
The Setup: Death Is Cheap, But Identity Isn’t
In Mickey 17, the future has a grim efficiency problem. Human life is just another renewable resource—especially for Mickey, a disposable grunt enlisted to die on command for a corporate colonization mission. Every time he’s blown up, broken, or wasted, a fresh clone is printed to replace him. But when Mickey 17 survives a supposedly fatal mission only to discover that Mickey 18 has already taken his place, things spiral into a metaphysical turf war. It’s cloning meets Fight Club by way of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Robert Pattinson doubles down on chaos and charisma, playing both versions of Mickey with distinct—and clashing—personalities. It’s hilarious. It’s tragic. And it’s deeply Bong.
Sci-Fi, But Make It Satirical (and Sad)
Bong Joon Ho is no stranger to genre-blending (Snowpiercer, Okja, Parasite), but Mickey 17 might be his most chaotic fusion yet. There’s sharp commentary on labor exploitation and techno-fascism, but also slapstick, romance, and inter-species diplomacy—all jammed into a story that constantly reinvents itself.
Some moments feel like Black Mirror gone rogue. Others echo Brazil or The Lobster, with a tone that’s absurd but never careless. The science may be soft, but the ideas hit hard.
“This isn’t science fiction for gearheads. It’s science fiction for people who lie awake wondering whether they’re living their own lives—or just playing roles handed to them by someone else.”
— The Washington Post
Pattinson x 2: The Odd Couple Inside One Face
Robert Pattinson delivers what might be his weirdest—and most affecting—performance to date. As Mickey 17, he’s a sweet, desperate idealist. As Mickey 18, he’s cynical, edgy, and sick of dying for a system that doesn’t care. Watching the two versions clash, bicker, and ultimately confront what it means to be “the real one” is the emotional spine of the film.
This is not just a visual gimmick. It’s a duel of worldviews. It’s Multiplicity, if Michael Keaton was haunted by the specter of worker alienation.
Supporting Cast: Cartoons With Teeth
Mark Ruffalo plays the megalomaniacal Governor with the energy of a dictator doing dinner theater. Toni Collette matches him beat-for-beat as the colony’s hard-assed bureaucratic enforcer. Naomi Ackie, as the one person who sees Mickey for more than his clone ID, brings emotional ballast to the madness.
Some critics feel their performances verge on caricature. But in Bong’s world, that’s often the point: institutions are grotesque because they lack humanity. Individuals, however messy, are the only thing worth rooting for.
Visuals That Hit Like a Frostbite Fever Dream
The cinematography swings between the clinical and the surreal. Niflheim is a beautifully brutal ice planet, but Bong never lets you forget it’s also a stage for human arrogance. The production design leans into retro-future analog gear, making the colony feel cobbled together, stressed out, and barely functioning—a metaphor, perhaps, for the humans trying to control it.
The creatures, dubbed “Creepers,” aren’t just alien window dressing. They play a pivotal role in the story’s twist—and in a rare moment of genuine sci-fi wonder.
Big Themes, Bigger Swings
- Labor and Class: Mickey is literally engineered to suffer so others don’t have to. Sound familiar?
- Identity and Selfhood: What makes you “you”? Memory? Pain? Persistence?
- Colonialism and Exploitation: The planet isn’t just hostile—it might be smarter than its invaders.
Bong doesn’t just raise these questions—he stares them down, smirks, and throws another curveball.
The Trade-Offs: Wildly Inventive, But Not Always Cohesive
Let’s be honest: Mickey 17 is a narrative mess in places. The tone zigzags, the pacing lags in the middle, and the script sometimes stops dead to deliver its message. This isn’t a clean, tight sci-fi thriller. It’s a shaggy, overstuffed parable with a chaotic soul.
But that chaos is also its engine. Mickey 17 isn’t trying to win over everyone. It’s trying to make you think, laugh, and squirm—all at once.
Final Thoughts
Mickey 17 won’t be everyone’s cup of synthetic nutrient paste. But for fans of high-concept sci-fi with something to say—and the nerve to say it through clones, creepers, and cosmic satire—it’s a messy, memorable trip worth taking.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Not perfect. But perfectly Bong.