When the highly talked about and anticipated new film directed by Bong Joon Ho got delayed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023, it became one of the most anticipated releases of 2025, finally releasing this past March. How did this film hold up to the expectations, especially coming after one of the most universally liked films of all time, “Parasite”?
Mickey 17, based on the novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton, is a science fiction comedy set in 2054 about a man escaping from a huge debt he accumulated in Earth, which made him join a human colony as an “expendable,” an individual who gets cloned and their deaths are used for research or sacrifices in any missions that might occur.
The film also features diverse commentary about politics, colonialism, and most of all, what it means to be a human. When the movie shows us Kenneth Marshall, the leader of this human colony, we can see a pretty clear interpretation of politicians in our current time, and even more so, a discussion on where the values of being a human are. A theme of class is also mentioned very strongly, with portions being controlled for everyone being a lower-class individual while the leader living luxuriously, closely resembling a cartoonish version of itself, as the tone of the scenes can become quite absurd.
A strong addition to the plot is the romantic relationship between Mickey and Nasha, another inhabitant of the human colony, showing a pure and wholesome love between them, with the well-being of the other being their main focus. It is not quite often in the past years that a truly clean and pure relationship is seen, and watching this one is a breath of fresh air as well as a heartwarming moment for the audience. The connection between both actors makes not only for cute scenes on screen, but a strengthening of the plot and the reasoning behind each character.
What I believe makes or breaks a film with such a crazy plot is the performances, and Mickey 17 delivers greatly in this category. With the theme of clones and different personalities, the main conflict in the movie is the creation of one clone while the other one is still alive, and the meeting of these two. This means two completely different characters are being played at the same time, with Mickey 17 being more shy, reserved and worried, and Mickey 18 being the complete opposite with a dominant, strong and carefree attitude. Robert Pattinson was the perfect actor for this role and sets himself as one of the most talented actors of our generation, stepping away from the mold some people put him in from the earlier roles in his career. Other performances such as Naomi Ackie as Nasha, Mark Ruffalo as Kenneth Marshall and Toni Collette as Kenneth’s wife are amazing and extremely entertaining.
While watching this film with two other friends, I really enjoyed and appreciated what was presented, while my two other companions did not. The reason why this movie might not stick with many audiences is the quick and chaotic change of tones and storylines, with a lot of humor and eccentric performances. If you think of Mickey 17 as a continuation or follow-up of the same themes and work of Bong Joon Ho, such as “Parasite,” it will simply not happen. The best way to go into this movie is with an open mind, no expectations of what you think you might know of the director and just let yourself have a fun time.
“Mickey 17” is now available on streaming services, and I highly recommend it to anyone reading.
