Mickey 17 (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

In the future, a settlement on planet Niflheim relies on the help of individuals known as “expendables” to strengthen their community and push them toward a better future. Mickey (Robert Pattinson) is an expendable, and he’s died numerous times, repeatedly cloned in order to drive this civilization toward success. However, when Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 find that they both exist at the same time, they must determine the best course of action in order to prevent their extinction. 

Bong Joon Ho, the extraordinary filmmaker that brought us Parasite, takes the director’s chair for the production of Mickey 17. It’s clear the films that Ho attempts to bring to life: films full of social commentary and politically driven narratives–and Mickey 17 is no exception. This film is intentionally subtle in its approach toward studying and commenting on the class issues that plague our world, the political turmoil which we currently face, and the possible solutions to several evolving problems. Though, while the film is subtle in its approach, it’s clear the message that it wants to send: change is necessary. Ho’s ability to remain subtle while effectively developing a thrilling, honest, and accessible narrative is top notch, and one of the primary reasons why Mickey 17 will find critical success throughout 2025 and into award season. 

Pattinson is back. This is an actor that struggled early in his career, forced into roles that didn’t pay off and presented him in a light capable of derailing all chances of an acting career before it truly began. In the past few years or so, however, Pattinson’s talent has become increasingly clear–and he showcases his abilities once more here in Mickey 17. Tasked with playing nearly twenty different iterations of the same character, the nuance that he develops in each of them is beyond stellar, it’s a masterclass in acting. 

CGI plays a prominent role in Hollywood nowadays, and a blockbuster film is rarely completely void of it. Mickey 17, however, develops CGI in a way that even some of the biggest films in the world aren’t able to accomplish. The animation team employed to help bring Mickey 17 to life is superb, creating insanely realistic aliens that seamlessly and flawlessly blend with the live-action and practical effects of the film. This brilliant blend helps to create an immersive film that never relents, never takes its foot off the gas. 

Furthermore, the CGI allows Ho and his team to build a world so unique, so different from the vast majority of the science-fiction worlds that already exist in cinema. There’s a beautiful blend of realistic, existential, and surreal sets that allow us to traverse the vast galactic landscape from start to finish. Mickey 17 is an aesthetically pleasing film, and with Ho at the helm, I’m not the least bit surprised. 

My one true complaint about the film is the fact that it drags on and on. The narrative that viewers were promised effectively plays out over the course of the first thirty minutes or so, leaving the remaining [nearly] two hours to move painstakingly slow. Mickey 17 could have been a much more succinct sub-two-hour film, and it would still have had more than enough time to develop characters, plot(s), etc. There are a series of moments, particularly those filled with dialogue, that feel a bit verbose and inconsequential in the grand scheme of Mickey 17. Had Ho and Editor Jinmo Yang chosen to cut the film down to a more digestible length, I would have found even more to love about it. This is honestly a major gripe that I have with the film. Mickey 17 isn’t desecrated as a result, but the far-too-lengthy scenes cause the film to become a challenging watch. 

I truly believe that by the end of the year Mickey 17 will be regarded as one of the best films of 2025. It blends fantastical elements with an incredibly grounded narrative that scours the political landscape as well as issues surrounding social classes. Ho subtly and effectively tackles these subjects, leaving very little to the imagination by the film’s conclusion. The further I’m removed from Mickey 17, the more I realize that I don’t quite love this film. Again, it will ultimately rank among the best of 2025, and rightfully so. While it won’t go down as one of my favorite films, objectively I understand that it’s a wonderful film that will likely be met with positive reception. 

Directed by Bong Joon Ho. 

Written by Bong Joon Ho & Edward Ashton. 

Starring Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Anamaria Vartolomei, Pastry Ferran, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, etc. 

9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW