On Mar. 17, a highly anticipated movie from director Bong Joon-ho starring Robert Pattinson premiered in theaters all across the United States. Mickey 17 takes place in a futuristic space environment where the human race has developed a technology that is able to print new bodies for people after they have died. The United States government had decided that it is mostly unethical to keep printing people, so only a select few are allowed to do this. These people are called “expendables” and they are used as human lab rats to further scientific research.
That is where our main protagonist comes in; he is the only expendable on a ship that is attempting to colonize a new planet, he is the 17th version of himself and he is about to die, again. Mickey somehow gets out of his near death situation, only to find that they have already reprinted him, making him a ‘multiple’. This is highly illegal and puts both him and his friends in danger.
The movie explores themes of mortality, identity, power, and love, and it does this incredibly well. Throughout the movie, Mickey struggles with his identity, as he doesn’t really know if he is still the same person, and those around him treat him terribly due to his classification as an expendable. He struggles with death after becoming a multiple, the movie easily brings up incredibly difficult questions and allows for the audience to sit in that uncomfortable feeling.
The cinematography is absolutely incredible, the set and costume design really make the audience feel like they are actually there in space. There are gorgeous scenes of fights and friendships that are all highlighted by the lighting design. Mickey 17 was clearly created with a lot of thought put into every aspect of the film, it truly shines through.
Pattinson plays both Mickey 17 and Mickey 18, and he does a wonderful job creating clear differences between the two without making them feel like entirely separate characters. He keeps certain mannerisms, but makes them different enough that you can easily tell which one is on screen at any given time.
The other standout actors in the movie were Naomi Ackie (Nasha), Mark Ruffalo (Kenneth), and Toni Collette (Ylfa). Ruffalo and Collette made for despicable villains, they played their parts of a power hungry dictator and his equally power hungry and tone deaf wife terrifyingly well. Ackie does an incredible job playing Nasha, and perfectly captures both her protective, powerful energy, with her soft, in-love side. She made a character who could have easily been reduced to the main character’s girlfriend into a strong and well rounded character.
Mickey 17, is an incredible movie to watch. It leaves the audience with thousands of thoughts swirling around their heads as they leave the theater and it is incredibly entertaining to watch. There is so much symbolism and meaning hidden in every frame, it is easily one of the best movies to come out in 2025 so far.
