MICKEY 17 (2025)

Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo 
Runtime: 2 hrs 17 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scenes)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 6 March 2025

Synopsis: The unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.

Movie Review:

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite made its premiere at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival in May 2019, where it became the first Korean film to win the Palme d'Or, the festival’s highest accolade. It then went on clinch the Oscar for Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards, making history as the first non-English-language movie to take home the prize. The success did not stop there, as the film was also recognised with Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film trophies.

Naturally, Bong gained international acclaim and cinephiles anticipated his next work. And here it is, an English sci fi comedy about a man who signs up to be a disposable worker in space, with the ‘ability’ to be cloned indefinitely every time he dies.

The 55-year-old filmmaker, who is known for exploring social and class themes in his movies, confidently takes on the duties of producing, writing and directing this story based on the 2022 novel Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton. Prior to Parasite, Bong had helmed Snowpiercer (2013) and Okja (2017), so this isn’t his first foray into a production that is in the English language.

Robert Pattinson plays the protagonist, a man named Mickey Barnes, who is forced by life circumstances to take on a job of an “Expendable” on a mission to colonise an icy planet. His role is to be involved in dangerous assignments that can kill him. Thanks to technology, Mickey can be cloned with his memories intact each time he dies – this sure sounds like a great idea to propel humankind forward.

Mickey is simply identified by the number of times he has been cloned. Things get interesting when Mickey 17 survives a mission and returns to base, only to find that there is a Mickey 18.

With this unique premise, Bong probably had a field day bringing thought-provoking themes to life in spectacular fashion. Plus, he is backed up by a major distributor for this project, which means there were possibly enough resources to materialise his vision.

The topic of cloning brings with it ethical dilemmas and existential struggles. Coupled with issues like individual identity and class differences, the movie could have been heavy to sit through with solemn and weighty concepts, but Bong manages to keep the 137-minute film engaging throughout with his sharp storytelling.

Offbeat humour is aplenty in the movie (we laughed at how Mickey’s cloning and disposal process is carried out so mechanically), and while there are philosophical notions (should clones co-exist?), the film is still accessible with its energy and pacing – it is essentially a story about the hero beating all odds to survive the day.

The movie also benefits from its well-known stars. The ensemble cast includes Naomi Ackie as a security agent and Mickey’s love interest and Steven Yuen as Mickey’s friend There’s also the scene-stealing Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette, hamming it up as an arrogant politician and his scheming wife. The couple’s over-the-top performances fit oddly in the scheme of things.

Pattinson, who has long shed his Twilight persona, continues to prove his range. This time, he gets to showcase his versatility by playing both Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 in the same scene. Playing clones with wildly different personalities was likely a fun challenge for the English actor, who will win more fans with his compelling performance.

Movie Rating:

(Bong Joon-ho’s sci fi comedy is packed with quirks and thought-provoking themes that keep audiences engaged - made even better by the spectacle of Robert Pattinson acting opposite himself)

Review by John Li