Mickey 17 (2025), loosely based on the novel “Mickey 7” by Edward Ashton, is written and directed by Bong Joon Ho. It stars Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Steven Yuen, Anamaria Vartolomei, Ian Hanmore, Patsy Ferran, Michael Monroe, Cameron Britton, Daniel Henshall, Ellen Robertson, Edward Davis, and Steve Park. The film follows Mickey (Pattinson), a down-on-his-luck simpleton who decides to flee Earth with his best friend, Timo (Yuen) after they find themselves indebted to a ruthlessly violent loan shark. In a race against time, Mickey impulsively signs up to be an “expendable” – a person used as cannon fodder for the endless dangers of intergalactic exploration whose memories can be transferred to a new, “reprinted” body each time they die. After dying sixteen different times, the 17th Mickey finds himself once again left for dead on a desolate alien planet. Believing Mickey 17 is dead, the expedition’s zany ruler, Kenneth Marshall (Ruffalo), and his sauce-loving wife, Yifa (Collette), proceed to print Mickey 18. When the two Mickeys realize that the discovery of their dual existence will result in both of their executions, they team up with a handful of friends, including their loving girlfriend, Nasha (Ackie), in order to find a way to save both of their lives.   

Regardless of how you feel about the countless big swings this movie takes, it’s tough not to appreciate the seemingly uncompromised vision Bong Joon Ho is able to achieve. Instead of following up his Oscar-winning effort Parasite (2019) with another serious-minded awards contender, Ho has created a silly sci-fi epic that feels like a cross between his films Snowpiercer (2013) and Okja (2017), but also more satirical additions to the genre like Galaxy Quest (1999). This tone allows Robert Pattinson to portray Mickey in a way that sets him apart from most film protagonists. He’s a complete idiot whose voice sounds like a combination of a lifelong smoker and Steve Buscemi, but he’s ultimately likable for a variety of reasons. First off, no matter how daft Mickey often is, it’s clear that his intentions are pure. Secondly, he’s surrounded by characters who are either morally corrupt or dumber/as dumb as he is. Main characters don’t have to be perfect, but they should display at least one exclusive trait that sets them apart positively and makes them worth following/caring about. The final and most crucial reason the Mickeys work as characters is Pattinson’s masterful performance. Mickey 17 & 18 display personalities/accents that are so distinct there isn’t a single moment where the viewer questions which is which. It’s an off-beat and strange performance, but it’s undeniably one-of-a-kind. 

    Although some are better than others, the supporting cast members also deliver strong performances. Despite the fact that she’s the weakest of the bunch, Naomi Ackie is still serviceable as Mickey’s fun-loving girlfriend, but the script never does enough to characterize her in a way that feels interesting. Oftentimes, she’s just frustrating in the sense that she never takes Mickey’s issues very seriously until she’s forced to. In the final moments, the film asks us to see her as a loving significant other, but she’s just never established to be that way. Thankfully, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette are absolute dynamite entertainment as the expedition’s mentally deranged and morally corrupt political leaders. Ruffalo goes over the top similar to his performance in Poor Things (2023), but he takes it even further. Whether or not it’s a better performance is up to the individual, but it’s undeniably entertaining either way. As for Toni Collette, I think she’s right at home in this kind of zany performance. She’s the kind of performer who seems to thrive on portraying extreme characters. Whether she’s serious and emotionally devastating, like in Hereditary (2018), or cartoonishly silly, like in this film, she finds a way to nail it. To round things out, Steven Yuen is a lot of fun and a perfect fit for the film’s tone, but I wish the script had a little more time to flesh him out.

The movie implements many different cool sci-fi ideas, but although none feel particularly out of place, they’re not explored deeply enough to make an impact. This doesn’t ruin the film, but it is a tad disappointing when considering Ho’s previous work. Instead of being the perfect mix of a fun-loving sci-fi film like Okja and a thematically dense, serious film like Parasite, Mickey 17 feels like a director working within his comfort zone at a point in his career when many would like to see him tread new ground. The story feels original, but the tone is something I’ve seen from Bong Joon Ho before. That being said, he’s a master of this specific tone. I just wish he had spent a little more time fleshing out the story, characters, and themes on top of it. 

Although well-balanced, the multiple tones hold each other back from working to their full effect. Whether it is sci-fi, gory violence, spacy humor, or romantic melodrama, the film struggles to make an impact. It’s entertaining, well-acted, and well-made but lacks any genuinely memorable or surprising moments. By the time it reaches the third act, it becomes clear that the movie is at least 20 minutes too long – something that drags out the all-too-predictable climax.

Overall, this is a fun and original sci-fi movie by one of Hollywood’s best directors, but it still feels like a step down from his previous work. It’s a sillier, less intelligent follow-up to Ho’s masterpiece, Parasite, but is ultimately a good time at the movies. This is due to its original script, uncommonly engaging performances, and a tone that’s effectively fun-loving despite its lack of depth. It’s not perfect, and more so than most movies, a person’s reaction to it will come down to taste. That being said, it’s well-acted, visually engaging, and, most importantly: original. What else could a person ask for? B