In Mickey 17, Bong Joon Ho takes viewers on a sci-fi journey more layered than a flakey croissant. The film introduces us to Mickey Barnes, portrayed by Robert Pattinson, an “expendable” on a mission to a far-away planet. Mickey’s job description? Die repeatedly in the name of progress, only to be reprinted with most of his memories intact. Everything goes according to plan until the day he accidentally doesn’t die.
Pattinson’s performance effortlessly balances cringy humor with the creeping horror of being replaceable. During an early mission on their new planet, Mickey’s 17th version falls into a cavern and is presumed dead. After getting help out of the cavern, he arrives back home to find Mickey 18 has already taken his place. The doppelgänger dilemma that ensues echoes the 1996 film Multiplicity, where cloning oneself leads to a series of identity crises and comedic mishaps.
Similarities between Mickey 17 and James Cameron’s Avatar are obvious and profound. They extend beyond each film’s alien worlds and examine the ethics of colonization and the clash between human ambition and indigenous inhabitants. Each also showcases how the native inhabitants are more connected to the land and to one another—a benefit in their struggle against the human invaders.
Niflheim’s natives, known as “creepers,” are an amalgamation that any creature designer would love. Imagine if a Demogorgon from Stranger Things and an armadillo had a baby. The result is a terrifyingly adorable monster that rolls into scenes, adding cuteness to the possibility of brain-exploding terror.
The planet’s name, Niflheim, is a nod to the icy underworld of Norse mythology. It’s a realm of mist and shadow, fitting for a film about a man repeatedly losing himself. Likewise, Toni Collette’s character, Ylfa, is named after the Norse word for “wolf,” which might explain her obsession with killing and eating the creepers. It might also explain her cunning manipulation of Kenneth Marshall, the colony’s morally ambiguous leader. Played by Mark Ruffalo, Marshall sounds like Donald Trump behind oversized veneers with grandiose ideologies similar to those of billionaires like Elon Musk.
Be warned: the film’s dialogue contains more than 50 f-bombs, many of which are from Naomi Ackie‘s Nasha, Mickey’s sharp-witted love interest, and Steven Yeun‘s Timo, Mickey’s “friend” from Earth who backstabs him at every turn.
At the end of the day, Mickey 17 stands as a thought-provoking ride that feels similar to Bong’s 2019 Parasite. Whether you’re in it for the laughs, the sci-fi spectacle or the deeper exploration of identity, this film is an existential feast that is served ice cold.
RHFC Rating: 7/10 🍿
