Robert Pattinson plays the unlikely hero in a satire that rings a little close to reality in this sci-fi send-up of populist politics.
It’s no secret that Bong Joon Ho harbors a definitive point of view towards populism; the idea that the elites in society are only out for themselves at the expense of the people at the lowest end of the social strata, You can see this reflected in many, if not all, of his films. From 2006’s The Host, through his other films like Snowpiercer (2013), Okja (2017) and his Oscar-winning masterpiece Parasite (2019), Ho typically makes his antagonists out of touch elites and callous agents of authority who thrive at the expense of others who are trying to claw their way towards everyday survival. Snowpiercer in particular is very much a precursor to the themes explored in Mickey 17; both are films where the authority of figure has captured a populist fervor where they benefit at the expense of their followers who still see themselves as a chosen people despite their low social standing. If the exploration of this theme is something that piques your interest, alongside the oft times comical situations that arise from it, then Mickey 17 should be right up your alley.
Robert Pattinson plays Mickey Barnes, who alongside his friend Tim (played with aplomb by Beef’s Steven Yeun, open up a macaron stand in a near-future post-apocalyptic Earth with the aid of money from a loan shark. When the shop predictably goes out of business, the two skip town and join up on a space flight to an off-Earth colony looking to be populated by followers of a pompous reality TV star turned failed politician named Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo channelling the same kind of asshole energy from his role in Poor Things). While Timo manages to scan his way onto the ship by lying about his flight credentials, Mickey accidentally volunteers his services as an expendable. This role guarantees him a place on the ship, but he leans that it is a guinea pig who’ll be scanned and cloned to do the worst jobs on the ship until he is killed at which point a new Mickey will be printed to take his place. By the time we meet up with Mickey in the film, he is on his 17th version – having been killed for all sorts of menial and stupid reasons, from scientists wanting to see how solar radiation burns will look as they happen to being used as a literal test dummy.
That all being said, Mickey is fairly happy with his lot in life, especially since he has a loving girlfriend in Nasha (Blink Twice’s Naomi Ackie) who looks out for him despite his low standing in life. That all changes on a mission where Mickey is abandoned after a fall and accidentally saved by a alien creature called a Creeper on their colony planet Niffleheim. By the time Mickey makes it back home, he has already been replaced a new Mickey, Mickey 18 (also played by Pattinson). Mickey 18 is more aggressive than 17 and doesn’t take it kindly when he learns of some of the disrespect that 17 takes in stride and decides he needs to stand up and get revenge for his “brother” – an act that has dire repercussions for both of them, and, ultimately, the whole colony.
If you were to compare this film to any of Bong Joon Ho’s other films, Snowpiercer is the closest equivalent, with Ruffalo’s Marshall being the boorish equivalent of Ed Harris’ Wilford. While Wilford was skilled and had a plan of sorts as the head of the Snowpiercer, Ruffalo’s Marshall is a clod who only reacts to the world around him, revelling in the attention but wanting no real details of any of his actions. It goes without saying that Marshall is a thinly-veiled caricature of a certain U.S. political figure, down to the followers with red caps and hats with a catchphrase slogan promising their new space colony as a home for the one and only. He also serves as a larger exploration of the problems that arise with populism and the cult of personality as the script also explores how his popularity is being used by a church/corporation on Earth for their own unspoken reasons that are hinted at being akin to creating an ethno-state. Ruffalo and his foils in this subplot, especially Toni Collette as his scheming wife and Daniel Henshall as his skin-headed pseudo-religious assistant, are great at selling the insidious undercurrent of the political structure on the colony ship; especially since they enjoy privilege no one else on the ship does.
The film, however, doesn’t work without Pattinson, who you often forget is a masterful actor from his work with directors like Christopher Nolan, The Safdie Brothers and Robert Eggers. His Mickey performances are distinct from each other in an amazing way where you forget its one actor, not two. He has two distinct forms of chemistry opposite Naomi Ackies, who herself has done similar work in Zoe Kravitz’ Blink Twice. Her performance is a distinct driver for both versions of Mickey and while this is a big budget sci-fi film, the whole time you are engaged in the film because of the human relationships which are not akin to an indie film. This isn’t Moon 2, it’s a unique and at times, haunting film in its exploration of cruelty, humanity and how ignorance can bring people to destruction; both individually and as a species. While’s it’s not the haunting film that stays with you like Snowpiercer or Parasite, it’s still a strong movie that maybe hits a little too close to home with its message given our proximity to populism in this country.
Mickey 17 is another solid exploration of humanity and its nature to neglect those who define it most and definitely worth a watch. It hits theaters on March 7th.
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MICKEY 17 (2025) *** &* 1/2 * OF 5 *