Throughout Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17, countless characters ask the titular hero a question that haunts us all: What’s it like to die? At times, it’s an inquiry that’s played for comedy. In other moments, it’s asked as a plea for comfort. Melding the drama and comedy of life, and subsequently death, is something that Mickey 17 revolves around. The tonal balance also represents one of the features Joon Ho has become beloved for in cinema. His ability to create sequences that range from frightening to zany within a larger framework of romance, drama, horror, and more is nearly unmatched in Hollywood. So perhaps one of the most exciting elements about Mickey 17 is the very fact that it exists. It’s a film that finds Joon Ho unapologetically unfiltered. At no point does it feel like anything short of his own vision. And seeing it shot for IMAX, with all the care and spectacle of a big-budget blockbuster, put such a smile on my face. It’s a film that I couldn’t believe I was seeing in such a manner. But beyond the spectacle and bewilderment of it all, the question ultimately lies in whether or not Mickey 17 works as a film. The answer? Of course it does.
It’s almost baffling to think that it’s been more than five years since Joon Ho took the world (and the Oscars) by storm with his universally-acclaimed Parasite. Whatever he did next was sure to have countless eyes on it, and there’s a pressure that comes with that. Yet Joon Ho appears to have brushed it off without a worry. Rather than muddle down his own tone or style, it’s as if he tripled down on it in every single respect. The humor is ridiculous in the best ways possible. The tonal whiplash feels like a miracle as you find yourself won over, or disgusted by, the central characters. The filmmaking on display is exciting and lavish, knowing when to slow down versus when to become frenetic. But what won me over perhaps most is just how easily Joon Ho can tug at your heartstrings out of nowhere. And so much of it stems from the aforementioned question posed to Mickey (Robert Pattinson) throughout the film.
Set in the not-too-distant future, Mickey has signed up to be an “Expendable” during a mission to colonize a faraway planet. His purpose for the mission is right in the job title and description. With the ability to have himself cloned, he is tasked with the jobs that would otherwise cost valuable lives and resources. In doing some of the most important work of the mission, he has been completely devalued by the larger systems in charge of the entire expedition. Though this is a science-fiction film through and through, Joon Ho roots the drama and themes of this film in the very real dilemma plaguing individuals across the world. If our lives are seen as less than by the people around and above us, would that not force us to look at our own existence in a devalued sense? Through the people around him, Mickey holds a compelling space in their lives. They can outright ask him what it must be like to die. It’s something that pops into our heads at various points throughout our lives. For some, it can cause an existential spiral. For others, Mickey being one of them, it’s just something that we deal with as it comes. In the case of this iteration of the character, Mickey 17, it’s a muted response because he knows he’ll be back in the morning. But even still, it leaves a profound impact on him. If we’re so preoccupied with the idea of death and what it might mean for our bodies, our minds, or even our souls, we may be less inclined to live life to the fullest extent. The company in charge of the expedition in Mickey 17 has forced its subordinates to be in such fear of what comes next that all the beauty and opportunity of a happy life has been stripped clean. It’s in this dilemma that Joon Ho and an unreal Pattinson find a way to craft what is sure to be one of the most fascinating and exciting character performances of the year.
17 is just adorable. Pattinson plays him with an innocence that has the audience hope he’s protected and cherished forever. In such a hostile work environment, it seems impossible. And 17 seems to have accepted that as fact. The company has successfully forced him not just into subservience while working, but also to accept that his life is now going to remain unchanged on even the most fundamental levels. He’ll live a little, but he’ll work and die a lot more. Through their collaboration, Joon Ho and Pattinson grapple with the possibility of whether truly living is even possible under such circumstances. As we see 17 reckon with both his job and the increasingly unhinged behavior of Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), 17 retreats within himself and towards the one person he feels safest with, Nasha (Naomi Ackie). Over the course of his time as an Expendable, 17 has become resigned. He is willing to accept what life unfairly serves him and is sure to say thank you afterwards. His innocence is perhaps a symptom of the fractured personalities that stem from the cloning process, but it’s not difficult to imagine a world where it’s easier for 17 to merely put on that front. The less he becomes attached to life in his latest iteration, the easier it can be to let go when the time comes. It’s only upon meeting Mickey 18 that our outlook on the events unfolding shift into something deeply intriguing and confrontational.
17 and 18 coming face to face with one another is the outcome of a major mishap. The result of them being caught by the company means complete termination. Where 17 is panicked, 18 is understandably angry. He wants more time in the life he’s been given, and he’ll clearly fight and kill for the opportunity. He initially focuses his rage on his duplicate and hilarity ensues. Joon Ho highlights how systems of power would much rather see infighting amongst peers than have anger and discontent pointed at the root cause of such feelings. It’s so much like the mind-blowingly exciting second half of Parasite depicts. The main difference with this film is how the battle occurs. Where Parasite focuses on class warfare through the lens of two families, Mickey 17 is an internal conflict that has been externalized into two identical yet opposed entities. 18 has hardened himself due to the circumstances he justifiably deems cruel and unfair. He curses out the powers that be and has a bloodlust for retribution. But it feels as if 18 also can’t even see the brighter sides of life. 17 knows most of his existence is primarily grim and upsetting. Yet he is able to find peace despite that pain. He finds it in his naïveté to some extent, but where Mickey 17 soars is in its ability to find it in the loving embrace of Nasha.
The love 17 and Nasha share is so pure that you almost start to wonder if 17 is resigned in his day-to-day activities because he’d rather devote all his energy to the shining beacon of light in his life. Ackie turns in such a wonderful performance. From the moment she’s on screen, you can instantly feel her adoration for 17 as something that’s pure and deeply meaningful. Where Marshall and 18 see stupidity and weakness in 17, Naomi sees a person that so many of us can innately understand. 17 is a person who is afraid of the world they’ve found themself in. He’s a person frustrated at the circumstances through which we feel forced into. He’s a person who, despite it all, is trying his best. He’s trying to be happy. Mickey 17 is a film that grapples with many grand themes and ideas. It’s operating as a slapstick comedy, a satire, a blockbuster sci-fi action film, and an indictment of capitalism at its most unchecked. Yet Joon Ho still finds a way to also make this a touching romance. It’s perhaps the element of Mickey 17 that will make it most timeless in my mind. And it’s in this romance that Pattinson’s performance can craft something so beautiful.