Director Bong Joon Ho is back with a film for the first time since 2019’s masterpiece Parasite, this time bringing his brand of razor-sharp commentary on class and authority to space.

It’s the year 2053. Humans are venturing into space in search of alternative viable habitable planets. One particular expedition is led by a Trump-like politician Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), whose supporters don red hats and worship him. Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) signs up to be an Expendable on the expedition, a human lab rat tasked with the mission of uncovering fatal secrets of space travel, potential pathogens on their destination planet and so on. Though the assignments given are lethal, Mickey does not fear as he is reprinted every time he dies, with a number assigned to indicate the iteration of his regeneration. On one occasion, Mickey No 17 is left to die in a crevice. Miraculously surviving the endeavour, he returns to the spaceship only to find a newly generated Mickey 18. Conflicts soon arise between them as duplicates are illegal.

Mickey 17 is a fun science fiction romp that explores ideas like cloning, space exploration, and colonisation in a manner that feels refreshing despite the various iterations of such themes in the genre. Part of the charm is director Bong’s masterful genre-blending efforts, in which he excels (look no further than his signature works like Memories of Murder and Parasite). The film shape-shifts between genres, leaping from comedy farce to political satire, to romance, to thriller, and even, on occasion, to horror, while never losing sight of the overarching science fiction sensibilities.

I absolutely love the debate around the morality and ethics of cloning, and how it then extends to deeper philosophical ideas of existentialism and the fear of death. Like many sci-fi greats, Mickey 17 explores the meaning of life and what makes us human, providing great lightbulb moments throughout the film. My biggest reservation, however, is that while the film presents interesting ideas, as mentioned earlier, it sadly never allows them to ferment. Midway through, Mickey 17 pivots away, choosing to focus more on its political satire, which is arguably the least interesting aspect of the film. That, to me, was a shame.

Robert Pattinson is great as Mickey Barnes. Challenged with the task of portraying multiple Mickeys, particularly Mickey 17 and 18, he switches seamlessly between roles, giving us one of the best dual performances in a film since Lupita Nyong’o in Jordan Peele’s Us. Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collete are having a great time as expedition leader-slash-dictator Kenneth Marshall and his wife. Mark Ruffalo, in particular, delivers a perfectly camp performance that even overshadows his own in Poor Things, this time without a questionable British accent, but with more of an obnoxious diction that even Donald Trump might call ‘too much’.

No stranger to creature flicks (The Host) and science fiction (Okja), director Bong this time expands his scope and scale when it comes to production and world-building. Influences from films like The Thing, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Gemini Man, and Moon can be found throughout the film, informing his creature designs and landscapes. The film also features beautiful cinematography by Darius Khondji. The use of colour is very purposeful, both in terms of lighting and costume choices. Jung Jae-il’s score is spectacular as always, with piano-laced orchestral pieces that punctuate key moments and elevate the black comedy.

All in all, Mickey 17 is a remarkable follow-up to Parasite, despite the unsatisfying handling of its themes. For the genre-blending madness that it is, however, it is still rip-roaring fun in the cinema and I had a great time with it.

Author: Chia Jing Heng (andreusjh99)