Korean director Bong Joon Ho’s new film, Mickey 17, is a scathing critique of 21st-century capitalism that finds its perfect timing in today’s reality. Based on the graphic novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton, the movie tells the story of Mickey, an Expendable worker on a planetary labor colony ruled by an authoritarian billionaire, played to perfection by Robert Pattinson.
In a dystopian future where human bodies are printed and recycled like organic matter, Mickey 17 follows the story of its titular character as he navigates a world in which every living being feels pain, fear, and the drive to survive. The film’s blackly comic vision and imaginative visual design make for an unforgettable watch, but it lacks the structural perfection of Parasite.
The movie’s satire of capitalism is savage, depicting a world where new planets are plundered, native life forms are exterminated, and human bodies are exploited for labor and recycled like trash. However, Bong Joon Ho’s humanism shines through in the final scenes, offering a deeply moving message: every death matters, and our moral imperative as a species is to create a social order that enables every being to fulfill the need not just to survive but to flourish.
With Pattinson delivering standout performances for both characters, Mickey 17 makes for a rollicking watch. While it has some narrative loose ends and an over-the-top performance from Jake Gyllenhaal’s caricature in Okja, the film’s message of hope and utopian possibility is timely and powerful.
Source: https://slate.com/culture/2025/03/mickey-17-robert-pattinson-movie-mark-ruffalo-trump.html