By Sean Hancock
Mickey 17 is the follow-up film for Best Director winner Bong Joon Ho. The film stars Robert Pattinson as Micky Barnes, Steven Yuen as Timo, and Mark Ruffalo as Kenneth Marshall. The film is set in the not-so-distant future and follows Robert Pattinson’s Mickey Barnes as he is working as an “expendable” a disposable crew member on a deep space mission.
The film is pretty weird, but it is good. It definitely stands out from the rest of the reales this year. You can really tell how much Bong Jong Ho pays attention to detail. Bong has a lot to say with this film. He touches on the effect of late-stage capitalism on workers and what happens when we put faith in people who hide their true intentions.
The character Micky is used as a guinea pig, as an “expendable.” His job includes dying and having his memories put into a clone of himself. Robert Pattinson puts on an all-time performance. He plays 17 different versions of himself and is often acting against himself.
The film looks amazing, and the cinematography is really interesting in the way in which it captures light. The film has a very brutalist aesthetic, especially the scenes inside the spaceship.
A character that really stood out to me was Kenneth Marshall, played by Mark Ruffalo. He plays a failed politician who is now on a mission to find a new planet to inhabit. Ruffalo chooses to play this character very wacky and silly. It is super intriguing seeing the captain of a spaceship, who is supposed to be the most accountable person, actually be a downright idiot whose only goal is greed.
The film definitely makes you think. More films like this need to be made. If you’re a fan of experimental films, then I would highly recommend seeing Mickey 17.
