The Seventeenth Time’s a Charm With “Mickey 17”

It’s been six years since Bong Joon Ho‘s critically acclaimed “Parasite.”  A mix of sci-fi, politics, and pitch-black humor, “Mickey 17” reminds us that few directors can weave such layered satires as Bong Joon Ho.

“Mickey 17” isn’t the latest in a long franchise no one has heard of, instead the title refers to the number of times the main character has been replicated.  Desperate to escape a sadistic loan shark, Mickey (Robert Pattinson) and his associate Timo (Steven Yeun) volunteer on a ship that’s being sent to colonize a distant planet.  The journey is being funded and led by failed politician Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) and his wife, Ylfa (Toni Collette).  Since most of the crew is comprised of Marshall’s cult-like followers, Mickey resorts to one of the last positions available, “Expendable.”  Only one expendable is allowed on board, but they take care of all the most dangerous tasks, which also includes random experimentation by the ship’s science division.  After each horrific death, Mickey is replicated again. It’s a horrible experience for Mickey, except for the relationship he forms with Nasha (Naomi Ackie), the only person on board who still treats him like a human.

Unless you are already familiar with the book it was based on, this is the rare movie where it’s difficult to anticipate where the story will go.  The first half of the movie builds the world and defines Mickey’s character. (Characters?)  Bong Joon Ho begins to peel back the layers of his story.  As an expendable, sent to do the jobs no one else will, everyone begins to treat Mickey as “less than them.”  Even the lowest of the classes look down on him, even though his existence is repeatedly the key to their survival.  Marshall and his wife lead their minions by  professing love to the very ones they despise.  There are some very clear parallels to modern politics, although Bong Joon Ho points to this power couple as being an amalgamation of dictators throughout history.  The film also explores how colonizers view and treat indigenous life on the land they plan to conquer.  Amongst all of this there’s some fun philosophical debates on how a human’s soul is split between replicants, and what happens when one dies.

After this strong first half, an event happens that takes the story in a very different direction and shakes Mickey and friends to their core beliefs.  As the second half revolves around this event, the film loses a bit of steam but remains entertaining.  It feels maybe 10-15 minutes too long, but picking anything that could be cut from the narrative is difficult.  In fact, there are a couple story threads that are neglected until they are quickly wrapped up at the very end.

“Mickey 17” doesn’t carry the same weight as “Parasite” or “Snowpiercer” but it might be Bong Joon Ho‘s most fun and optimistic movie to date?  One wonders if it would have the same tone if it were filmed this year instead of three years ago.