'Mickey 17' is a hilarious and outrageous success

Robert Pattinson signs up for a journey to an ice planet as an expendable — an endlessly cloned crew member assigned the most dangerous and deadly jobs.

During an interview in London, Director Bong said "In South Korea when I was writing the script there were all of these accidents happening to young laborers. They would die and immediately another person would replace them so the work continued and it became a huge social issue. And in this film that's like Mickey's job. He is replaced by all his iterations."

The interplanetary colonization foreseen by Mickey 17 relies on a foundation of blue-collar schmucks who live, die, and repeat thanks to a fancy 3D printer that cranks out a new worker—replete with all their memories—every time the previous version bites the dust.

Mickey is not unique, even with an unnecessary loan shark storyline highlighting his level of desperation. He’s simply destitute, isolated, and lacking alternatives. Many can identify with this, even if the Earth isn't currently being so severely affected by dust storms that people are escaping to other planets. Recognizing a simple escape from his stagnant existence, Mickey consents to meet his demise. Repeatedly. In late capitalism, one can’t even die peacefully. 

A Bong sci-fi wouldn't be complete without a blunt metaphor at its core, yet the recurring tragedy of Mickey's poverty-fueled situation is also full of humor. 

But, messy as it is, the filmmaking so energetically delivers its acidic pessimism that it’s rarely unpleasant. Bong's visual humor and Jung Jae-il's satirical music are infused with a sense of bitterness. The characters are remarkably peculiar, making them difficult to ever feel truly acquainted with; Pattinson especially delights in crafting a duo of entirely unique little gremlins. 

Director: Bong Joon Ho
Writer: Bong Joon Ho
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo
Release Date: March 7, 2025