Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Mickey 17’ Imagines a Future of Disposable Humans and Mad Messiahs

Alci Rengifo

Radical artists continually return to their obsessions because they always retain a stubborn relevance. Korean auteur Bong Joon Ho’s films over the past decade have revolved around dystopian or contemporary visions of brutal class divisions, revolutionary passions and heroic underdogs. After the success of his 2019 “Parasite,” which won the Best Picture Oscar as a stinging portrait of class war in modern South Korea, Bong is back in sci-fi mode with “Mickey 17.” The themes remain the same and longtime fans hoping Bong would return after a nearly 6-year absence with something completely new might be surprised at the familiarity of this film’s setting. On the other hand, it is refreshing to see his mixture of satire, elegance and grit remain intact.

Bong takes a 2022 novel of the same name by Edward Ashton and turns it into an upfront futuristic commentary on the present. Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) is an “Expendable” we meet during a mission in the 2050s to colonize an ice planet, a venture headed by Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), a billionaire populist set on establishing a new civilization. Mickey’s job means he is basically a guinea pig sent out to explore the planet’s potentially toxic environment, endure medical experiments and anything else his body might be needed for. If he dies, which is practically assured, another Mickey is simply printed out. As the story begins, we meet Mickey #17, who has fallen into an ice cavern populated by the planet’s furry, indigenous inhabitants. When he makes his way back to the ship/base, Mickey is stunned to discover #18 has already been printed, since everyone assumed he was surely dead.

“Mickey 17” then proceeds as a hybrid of the grittiness of Bong’s great “Snowpiercer” and his 2017 animal rights fable for Netflix, “Okja.” As in those gazes into the near future, authority is mocked with colorful villains who parade themselves like exaggerated versions of figures we know all too well. Robert Pattinson’s performance is strong, but before going into that, it must be said Mark Ruffalo is absolutely memorable as a blowhard imitation of Donald Trump, babbling and rallying the inhabitants of a colonizer ship as if this were all a gameshow. In very unveiled references to real predicaments, Marshall makes bold announcements before giant diamonds mined from the planet and uses religion like a parlor trick, leading the masses in prayer. Toni Collette is madly entertaining on equal terms as Ylfa, Marshall’s haughty wife. They easily inhabit the grungy world lit by cinematographer Darius Khondji, who richly frames production design by Fiona Crombie that looks like an industrial purgatory. 

Bong’s films always look great but tend to thrive on their human elements. “Mickey 17” tries to pack in a lot at 2 hours and 19 minutes, at times struggling to find room for its engaging characters and the broader symbolism of the story. These personalities are relatable, working as avatars for those who feel like underdogs in a vast system. Robert Pattinson gets to demonstrate his range by playing two Mickeys with opposing personalities. Mickey 17 is the rather docile type, narrating perfectly Mickey’s overall past as a loser on Earth who found himself in trouble with loan sharks before escaping as an Expendable on Marshall’s ship. Mickey 18 has no time for weaklings with his fierce temper and scrappy approach to everything. Great complications arise because Mickey’s girlfriend, Nasha (Naomi Ackie), suddenly realizes there are two of him. This is great news for another shipmate, Kai (Anamaria Vartolomei). She likes the nicer #17. Pattinson, while playing two versions of himself, delivers some of his best recent work, showing some impressive skills in always making each Mickey feel wholly autonomous. 

Bong could have had even more fun with these predicaments, but he remains loyal to the film’s more radical observations about power and colonialism. As with his classic monster movie “The Host” and “Okja,” he manages to pull pathos and raw emotion out of elements other directors would turn into popcorn silliness. The planet’s alien creatures, called “creepers” by the immigrant humans, are both cute and icky, though designed with personality that emerges strikingly in the third act. When one of their babies is held prisoner by the demented Marshall, only Bong could make it wrenching enough to evoke thoughts of a time where children are being mercilessly killed in new colonial wars. If the creepers seem weird to us, imagine how we would look to the inhabitants of any other planet we might happen to land on with our typical arrogance. The creatures themselves are designed so well, we become unconscious to the fact they are CGI. Jung Jae-il, who worked on Bong’s last two films, gives these images richer life with an evocative, orchestral score that avoids electronic sci-fi clichés.

Though Bong is returning to familiar ground such as vast ships where people are divided by caste (“Snowpiercer”) or cute animal characters thrown into violent, visceral drama (“Okja”) with the lead characters being scruffy underdogs (“Parasite,” “Memories of Murder”), “Mickey 17” is still an engaging experience with a radical edge missing in most big budget studio movies. It’s hard to deny the validity of the striking allegories in this film. We are a society putting demagogues in power who then turn people into disposable cogs. Madmen run nations thirsting to conquer more territory and crush indigenous societies. Without thoughtful content, science fiction, if not all art, becomes diluted and forgettable. Despite all the recent success, Bong insists on making films with something to say with their impressive effects and dark humor. No doubt he can do even more, but that doesn’t take away from what’s memorable and provocative in this new offering.

“Mickey 17” releases March 7 in theaters nationwide.