After “Parasite” became the first international movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars in 2020, South Korean director Bong Joon Ho’s next movie was sure to draw attention.
When the premise and cast were announced, fuel was added to the fire.
“Mickey 17” is based on the 2022 science fiction novel “Mickey7” by Edward Ashton. The plot surrounds Mickey Barnes, desperate to escape Earth, traveling with a group of humans to an extraterrestrial planet in the hope of establishing the first human colony in space.
To assure his passage, Mickey signs up to be an “expendable,” meaning he is sent on dangerous missions where he is expected to be killed. When he dies, his body is reprinted, and his consciousness is uploaded back into the new body.
The relatively simple sci-fi concept hides the film’s true goal. Much like “Parasite,” “Mickey 17” is a scathing critique of capitalism. But unlike “Parasite,” there is very little subtlety.
A scathing criticism
Bong effectively hits you over the head with the overt messaging of the film. While not written to be any specific national leader, Mark Ruffalo’s character has obvious parallels to Donald Trump. His pursuit of political power through corporate leveraging is a clear-cut renouncement of lobbying.
While the criticism doesn’t hide, Bong’s delivery of the atrocities is very well-paced. The subtlety comes in how the offenses are presented. Whether it be through Mickey’s lens or the various eccentricities featured in the colony’s leaders, every detail has its purpose.
However, this potent criticism comes at a cost. The concept of “expendables” is fertile ground for commentary about identity, personality and uniqueness, but it is largely shelved. The film’s conclusion feels unsatisfying with this discussion left unfinished.
Also, if I wanted to watch a Bong movie centered around a critique of capitalism, I’d just watch “Parasite.” I wasn’t expecting him to top the movie, but when the messages between films are so similar, it’s hard not to compare them.
Don’t get me wrong—they are much-needed messages, and placing these kinds of discussions in a big-budget sci-fi movie certainly has its merits. It’s just tough to top or even come close to one of the most comprehensive and haunting depictions of capitalism’s horrors ever put to the medium of film.
But enough about the messaging. Is the movie actually good?
Someone cooked here (it was Bong)
In the hands of just any ordinary director, a largely gray spaceship set on a planet shrouded in winter would be one of the most visually boring settings possible.
Bong is not an ordinary director.
He uses the setting to his advantage. Every splash of color pops against the bleak background. Bong makes up for the lack of variety with depth and detail of sets. Each area feels lived in and tangible in a way that few movies, let alone big budget movies, do.
As great as Bong’s direction is, it’s not the aspect of the movie that shines the most. That honor would go to Robert Pattinson.
In Pattinson’s first lead role since 2022, he disappears into Mickey Barnes. By the time the title card plays, you forget his name, and all you see is Mickey. All 17 of them.
“Mickey 17” isn’t perfect. It falls into the traps many other film adaptations of novels do. The plot is paced unevenly and several characters feel one-dimensional, despite Steven Yeun and Naomi Ackie’s best efforts.
But it’s a breath of fresh air in a genre oversaturated with films whose only goal is to make money. Having this kind of commentary in that kind of movie only makes the message more powerful.
Whether it be immersive performances, large scale set pieces or poignant commentary, “Mickey 17” has something for everyone. And everyone should go see it.
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