Mickey 17 review: Robert Pattinson sees double in Bong Joon-ho’s bonkers sci-fi tale

Should he meet an untimely end, it’s not a cause for concern; his essence could be replicated, or cloned, anew through the use of his DNA and memories, which are preserved meticulously on a compact, block-like storage device.

At the Berlin Film Festival, Mickey 17 stands apart as a distinct work from Bong Joon-ho’s beloved film Parasite, which garnered the Palme d’Or at Cannes and later won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2019.

Drawing inspiration from Edward Ashton’s acclaimed novel Mickey7, its genre shares similarities with the 2013 movie Snowpiercer, a post-apocalyptic tale unfolding on an unending train. However, Mickey7 offers a more humorous and complex narrative as it explores the moral dilemmas surrounding cloning in a captivating manner. As Mickey’s supervisor puts it, “From now on, you’ll need to grow accustomed to death – that’s your line of work.

At the beginning of the movie, set in the year 2054, Robert Pattinson’s character, Mickey Barnes, is known as Mickey 17 – the seventeenth version of this character. Previous iterations of Mickey have met their end in different ways; one such instance was a virus outbreak on a spaceship traveling to an icy planet called Niflheim for nearly five years.

In this scenario, the person leading the expedition is a slick, pompous congressman named Kenneth Marshall (portrayed by Mark Ruffalo), accompanied by his wife Yifa (Toni Collette). They seem unperturbed about the well-being of these ‘expendables’, which suggests they have no genuine care for them.

Problems arise, however, when Mickey 17 survives a fall into a crevasse on the ice planet.

Originally, it was expected that he would be devoured by the indigenous alien creatures in Niflheim, known as ‘creepers’, but instead, they protected him. Upon his return to the spacecraft, he discovers Mickey 18 has already been synthesized. Since multiple clones are forbidden under penalty of death, their situation becomes extremely perilous. Moreover, Mickey 17 is less aggressive compared to his successor, thus making it a tale about the struggle for survival among the fittest.

Additionally, she delivers a passionate speech laced with strong language, which prompted the audience I was part of to erupt in immediate applause.

Without a doubt, Robert Pattinson should receive the highest praise for his versatile acting skills. Known for his role in Twilight, he’s shown a wide range of tastes in films such as The Lighthouse or Claire Denis’ earlier sci-fi film High Life. Moreover, he delivers an outstanding performance in a demanding role that requires both remarkable physical agility and playing dual characters. Although the movie slows down slightly towards its end (with a runtime of 137 minutes, it could have been shortened), the comedic aspect of the plot never fades away.

It’s nice to find an unusual, thought-provoking sci-fi tale in a sea of similar superhero movies these days. While it doesn’t have the heart-wrenching finale of Parasite, matching such a brilliant work would be quite challenging.

Rather than the usual, Bong takes on a more whimsical approach, serving up dark wit and an extra helping of Robert Pattinson. Definitely something to catch your eye.