Bong Joon-ho’s latest Hollywood endeavor can either leave you gasping for more or make you hate it.
Returning to the sci-fi genre after Snowpiercer (2013) and Okja (2017), Bong explores a future where human life is seen as expendable in Mickey 17—even through the eyes of alien roaches.
Working on the ever-dependent race for survival instinct and the search for a better place for the human race to prosper, this film takes place far away in the future, where human life is worth nothing, immersed in debts and self-pity.
Mickey Barnes, played by actor Robert Pattinson, is one such man—someone who seems to attract all the negativity he can. He is a simpleton, duped by his friend, taken for granted as a lowlife, and simply a man without direction.
This film brings to the fore the ever-present problems of corruption, avarice, and capitalism that could possibly exist even in the future. It is almost as if humans can’t get rid of these traits, even in space. Bong here has adapted Edward Ashton’s future-set science fiction novel Mickey7 to give us a thrilling black comedy, mixing it with a bit of sermonizing satire on the state of political affairs, where megalomaniacs and corporations exploit what is left of human life. It is almost as if Bong is commenting on the concept of only taking instead of giving.
Among his choice of actors, Robert Pattinson fits his ‘expendable human’ regenerated character to a tee, bringing his comic sense to the fore. Mark Ruffalo, as the capitalist politician, is at his best, although it seems he is stereotyped into playing such a role with some typical mannerisms since Poor Things (2023).
Toni Collette delivers a sharp performance as the calculating and dominant force between the couple, but the film’s emotional depth feels stifled. Bong Joon-ho, who previously excelled in layering social commentary with human complexity, appears to have embraced a more Hollywood-style approach—sleek and grand, yet lacking the raw emotional authenticity that defined Parasite. The characters, particularly Mickey, feel more like constructs than living, breathing individuals. While the futuristic setting justifies a certain detachment, human nature remains unchanged across time. Here, however, the characters lack that essential spark of life; their emotions feel muted, their struggles distant. The result is a film that shines in its genre ambitions but loses the subtle, deeply personal storytelling that once made Bong’s work so compelling.
Mickey 17 cannot be labeled as one of his best, but it lives up to the anticipation and buildup that this film received ever since it was announced. The film was presented as a Special Gala screening in Berlin following its world premiere on February 13th in London.
Film Fest Report is an accredited media at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.
