renviews: mickey 17

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Welcome to the first-ever Renviews (Ren Reviews)!

March 25, 2025: Mickey 17 (2025) !

Renviews won't assign numerical ratings to media or individual parts of it. I'm just here to get my thoughts out about something I enjoyed! (Or otherwise.) Spoilers abound!

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Written by critically acclaimed Bong Joon Ho, Mickey 17 follows Mickey Barnes, a man who had enlisted as an "expendable" on a large-scale expedition to colonize a frozen planet. Just as the title suggests, Mickey is, well, expendable. He's used as a test subject and treated as a single-use object, dying over and over again. But all for the good of mankind... right?

After being left to die, iteration 17 (Mickey 17! Namedrop!) is saved by the planet's inhabitants and makes it back to the ship just to find... Mickey 18?! Assuming that Mickey 17 was dead, the "next" Mickey was printed to replace him. The two quickly become unwillingly embroiled in a scheme of human hubris to exterminate all of the native life on the planet, and do everything in their power to do what's right. (Extremely simplified and bumpy synopsis! I highly encourage watching the film for yourself!)

Now that's aside, how did I feel about the movie?

I really enjoyed it!

First off, Robert Pattinson did an amazing job playing two characters with contrasting personalities that felt believable. It didn't come off like just one guy trying hard to be caricatures of different people, if that makes any sense. Honestly, I'm really fascinated by how Pattinson has broken out of his first big role as Edward Cullen and become such a varied actor that spans across so many genres. I feel like usually when an actor gets popular for one role, they're known for that for the rest of their lives. Pattinson manages to break that mold somehow.

I adored the scientific concepts, not just the human printer, but also the lengths to which Mickey was treated as a literal guinea pig. Exposed to deadly viruses on the icy planet, subjected to extreme radiation, being fed experimental treatments—all the worst things a human could be subjected to just in the name of science. It's watching decades of pain and research for scientific advancement at breakneck speed. 

Additionally, I enjoyed the uniqueness of the inhabitants of the ice planet. I'm a sucker for speculative biology, so seeing the designs for organisms that could live in environments unfamiliar to humans is always exciting. They appear to have some resemblance to tardigrades, microorganisms notorious for surviving the harshest of environments. The ice planet's inhabitants' ability to curl up into a ball is likely a method of retaining heat as well as traversing quickly across the barren landscape. The largest of them all (assumedly a parent?) being the only one with fur makes sense as a larger mass would require greater insulation to retain body heat. I love speculative biology!!

I was quickly engrossed in the story, and grew increasingly captivated as the film continued. The tension wasn't so thick that you could cut it with a knife, but the stakes felt serious enough that I found myself holding my breath at some points later in the film. There is the obvious political commentary that is a bit on the nose but still makes its point clear. The film showcases not only the heights of human hubris and selfishness, but also the gentleness and love we can have for not only each other but for all living beings.

Of course, there's the ethical conundrum of "even if he's expendable, is it moral to subject him to such agony for the good of mankind?" The way that Mickey's suffering is portrayed, and how everyone treats him as disposable, points towards a clear aversion to the dehumanization, even for positive advancement. Perhaps it can evoke thoughts about how test subjects—both human and animal—are treated today for the same reasons.

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That's all for this braindump! I might come back to add some more if I have sudden additional thoughts. But overall, I would recommend watching Mickey 17. It's not for everyone, but I sure did like it.