Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) is a down-on-his-luck drifter in the year 2054 when Earth is ready to colonize other planets and the races they harbor. Not reading the fine print of his job description, Mickey joins this neo-colonist society as an ‘Expendable’ aka a human lab rat who gets killed and reborn (or rather 3D-printed) over and over to test the living conditions of an alien world. But when the 17th dummy accidentally survives, and an 18th clone takes his place, identity crises and fascist ploys follow.
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite follow-up brings out the director’s usual social satire, although with a slightly clunkier style. Based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel Mickey7, the Korean auteur’s highly-anticipated and much-delayed release doesn’t match the standards of his signature works like Oscar-winner Parasite or Memories of Murder. However, as a companion to his other English-language sci-fi offerings, Mickey 17 is a chaotically entertaining addition to his filmography. The new sci-fi thriller borrows the snowy terrain and gritty retro-futurism of Snowpiercer for exploring a planet ripe for colonization while the grotesquely cute creature designs from Okja seem recycled for the planet’s furry, tentacle-faced inhabitants.
Much like the rest of his work, Bong’s screenplay quickly establishes a class divide in this futuristic society. Pattinson’s Mickey, for instance, is human scum, sacrificed Groundhog Day-style for the greater humankind. The morality lines are much more obviously defined here than the morally grey nuance of Parasite. And yet, Mickey 17 delivers a nail-biting thriller till the very end, benefiting greatly from an absurdly empathetic hero, claustrophobic production design, and cartoonishly self-aware performances. Bong and his acclaimed cast aren’t set to bag any Oscars here, and that provides for some off-kilter hilarity.
Robert Pattinson shines as multiple Mickeys. The man (or rather men) of the hour is, of course, Robert Pattinson, who effortlessly changes voices and entire personas as the gullible Mickey and his grumpier clone. At this rate of his chameleon-like versatility, it’s difficult to ascertain what the real Pattinson even behaves like. His duality shines amidst the brotherly bitterness brought out by his multiple turns as Mickey. While one represents the cynicism of the “live, die, repeat” schedule, the other evokes a bitter resentment of toppling down the system that turned him into a modern-day Sisyphus. The supporting cast is also top-notch, with Naomi Ackie adding some no-nonsense toughness as Mickey’s security agent love interest Nasha, and Toni Collette, who contorts her face to creepily discomforting levels as the would-be First Lady of a new space colony. But it’s her on-screen husband, Mark Ruffalo, who’s bound to get the most laughs as he returns to his over-the-top zaniness from Poor Things. Mark Ruffalo delivers a madcap Trump/Musk-type caricature. As failed politician-turned-space entrepreneur Kenneth Marshall, he gives theatric speeches, hosts his own talk show with some energetic church singing, and nonchalantly comments on race and deportation with such idealistic conviction that 2054 in deep space seems much closer to our current year on Earth.
Robert Pattinson shines in multiple shades of slapstick.
