Bong Joon-Ho, the visionary South Korean filmmaker behind Parasite, Snowpiercer, and Okja, is back with another sharp critique of capitalism – this time in space. His latest film, Mickey 17, is a thrilling, darkly funny sci-fi adventure that exposes the horrors of billionaire rule, unethical colonization, and the dehumanizing effects of advanced technology in the wrong hands. True to form, Joon-Ho balances biting social commentary, with a hopeful message: even in the bleakest futures, solidarity and humanity can prevail.
The story follows Mickey (Robert Pattinson), a man forced by economic desperation to become an “expendable” – a disposable laborer on a mission to colonize a distant planet. Funded by an eccentric billionaire (Mark Ruffalo) and his equally out-of-touch wife (Toni Collette), the mission relies on Mickey’s gruesome job: dying in horrific ways – in the name of science – only to be cloned again and again to repeat the cycle.
As the title suggests, we mostly follow Mickey’s 17thcycle throughout the film. But things get complicated when an 18th version of Mickey enters the picture. How this transpires, and what happens to both Mickeys, is a fun surprise you’ll have to watch yourself. The film dives into the ethical nightmare of cloning, asking: What makes a person who they are? And what happens when capitalism treats human life as replaceable?
Upon arrival, the crew discovers the planet is already home to an indigenous species – adorable yet terrifying creatures the colonizers dismissively call “creepers.” At first, the humans assume the natives are violent, but it quickly becomes evident that the real monsters are the billionaires who want to exploit the planet. And only after the humans kill and experiment on the creepers do they even start to fight back. The film makes it clear who we should root for – not the wealthy invaders, but the oppressed “creepers” resisting destruction.
Mickey 17 is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. It’s weird, shocking, and darkly hilarious – a roller-coaster of emotions that will leave you questioning our world. By the end, you’ll feel both disturbed by capitalism’s cruelty and inspired by the possibility of resistance.
