Released on March 7, 2025, Mickey 17 marks the highly anticipated return of director Bong Joon Ho following his Oscar-winning triumph Parasite. Distributed by Warner Bros. and adapted from Edward Ashton's 2022 novel Mickey7, this $80 million sci-fi epic stars Robert Pattinson in a dazzling dual role, alongside Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. Bong also penned the screenplay, continuing his signature blend of dark satire and genre subversion. Set in the year 2050 aboard a spaceship en route to the frozen exoplanet Niflheim, the story follows Mickey Barnes, an “Expendable” — a cloned worker used for dangerous tasks and resurrected after each death. But when a clone survives unexpectedly and returns to find a new version of himself has already been printed, the moral, political, and existential implications spiral into a full-blown sci-fi spectacle.
Genre:Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
A Genre-Bending Satirical Sci-Fi That Hits Hard and Laughs Loud
Watching Mickey 17 in a packed theater felt like witnessing the rebirth of what Hollywood blockbusters can be — daring, weird, laugh-out-loud funny, and intellectually piercing. Bong Joon Ho has delivered what might be his best English-language film yet, a cinematic fever dream that merges absurdist comedy with anti-capitalist critique, all wrapped in sleek production design and powered by one of Robert Pattinson’s most compelling performances.
The heart of Mickey 17 lies in the concept of the Expendable: workers who are sent on suicide missions and resurrected via cloning and memory restoration. This literalization of labor exploitation becomes both the film’s central sci-fi conceit and a brutal metaphor for modern working-class disposability. Pattinson plays Mickey 17 — and later Mickey 18 — with masterful nuance. Each clone feels distinct, not just in voice or physicality, but in soul. Pattinson’s performance alone is worth the ticket: equal parts slapstick, tragic, and surprisingly tender.
The dynamic between Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 anchors the film. Their uneasy alliance — built around switching jobs and deaths to avoid detection — offers biting commentary on identity, self-worth, and how capitalism dehumanizes even the most essential workers. Pattinson’s chemistry with himself is uncanny, layered with physical comedy and pathos that recalls his best roles (The Lighthouse, Good Time, The Batman) yet expands on them in fascinating ways.
Brilliant World-Building and Darkly Hilarious Satire
Production designer Fiona Crombie and costume designer Catherine George create a hauntingly familiar world aboard the colony ship: grimy service corridors, gray uniforms, and bureaucratic sterility evoke Alien and Snowpiercer, while Niflheim’s icy wastelands contrast sharply with the rich textures and grotesque opulence enjoyed by the elite. The Creepers — the native species of Niflheim — are rendered with surprising warmth, their bug-like bodies hiding complex social structures and emotional depth. They’re as memorable as Okja’s titular creature, both in design and narrative significance.
Bong’s penchant for blending tones is on full display. One minute you’re laughing at a botched reprinting sequence that resembles a jammed inkjet printer; the next, you're stunned by the quiet grief in a clone’s resignation to his own death. The absurdity never undermines the emotional core. If anything, it sharpens it. From body horror to slapstick to quiet romance, Mickey 17 seamlessly flows across genres.
The supporting cast is uniformly excellent. Naomi Ackie brings a grounded, fiery presence as Nasha, Mickey’s love interest and emotional anchor. Steven Yeun adds levity and moral ambiguity as Timo, Mickey’s opportunistic friend. But it’s Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette who steal entire scenes as Kenneth and Ylfa Marshall — grotesque parodies of power-hungry elites, channeling Trump-era authoritarianism with razor-sharp satire. Ruffalo’s mix of sleaze and buffoonery makes Kenneth a perfect villain for our times.
A Sci-Fi Allegory for Our Time
Bong doesn’t just ask what it means to die — he asks what it means to live in a world where your life is inherently undervalued. Mickey’s endless deaths and rebirths symbolize a system that chews up labor and spits it out, indifferent to individual suffering. When Mickey 17 finally chooses to destroy the cloning device at the end, it’s less a rebellion and more an emancipation. He reclaims his name — Mickey Barnes — and with it, his identity and agency.
The film also excels in its subtle (and not-so-subtle) social commentary. The Creepers, initially feared and misunderstood, emerge as sentient beings who demand respect and retribution. Their conflict with the humans becomes a thinly veiled allegory for colonization and ecological destruction. When one of the Mickeys sacrifices himself to stop Marshall’s genocidal plan, it’s a powerful moment of solidarity — between species, between clones, and between the oppressed.
The final scenes, where spring arrives on Niflheim and Nasha leads a new, more compassionate political order, feel genuinely earned. In a genre often dominated by dystopian despair, Mickey 17 dares to imagine a sliver of hope — that maybe, just maybe, we can unlearn the systems that reduce people to tools.
See what are the best sci-fi movies of all timeVerdict: A Daring, Delightful, and Deeply Human Sci-Fi Masterwork
Mickey 17 is Bong Joon Ho at his best — subversive, stylish, and unflinchingly human. It’s a sci-fi satire about capitalism, cloning, identity, and ecological collapse, but it never forgets to entertain. With breathtaking world-building, razor-sharp humor, and a magnetic double performance from Robert Pattinson, this film is as intellectually satisfying as it is emotionally resonant.
Expect it to dominate year-end lists — and awards season.
Final Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)