Mickey 17 review: Inventive sci-fi, but not a must-see

Mickey 17 is a good film that kept us entertained from beginning to end, and I would not tell anyone to skip it. It is also not a film that rises above its peers, and it is not a must-see. That is the whole review in two sentences, and it explains the 3.5.

The story in one line

Mickey is an expendable: a worker on an expedition to an ice planet who is given the most dangerous jobs because, when he dies, he can simply be printed again with his memories intact. By the time we meet him he is on his seventeenth body, and a mistake means there may soon be two of him at once.

It is an inventive premise, and Bong Joon-ho uses it for what he does best: social satire wrapped in genre. The film is as interested in the people who run the expedition and the way they treat disposable workers as it is in the sci-fi plot, and that gives it a sharper edge than a straightforward adventure.

The film is based on Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey7, if you want to read the source after watching.

Pattinson carries it

Robert Pattinson is the reason the film works. He plays Mickey with obvious commitment, finding a gentle, put-upon quality in the main character and something noticeably different in the version that arrives later. Playing two variations of the same man could easily have become a gimmick, and he keeps it grounded.

The supporting cast is strong. Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette play the expedition’s leaders with full-throated comic exaggeration, Naomi Ackie gives the film its warmest human relationship, and Steven Yeun adds to the mix. It is a cast that delivers well, even if the material does not always give them enough to do.

What kept us entertained

The film is lively, funny and unpredictable, and it never sags. The sci-fi world is detailed and imaginative, the humour is dark and the satire has real bite. It is easy to follow and easy to enjoy, and for a film that runs about two hours and seventeen minutes it moves along at a good pace.

If you want more big-screen sci-fi afterwards, our Dune (2021) review is a good next stop. If you like Bong Joon-ho’s earlier work, you will recognise the mixture of comedy and cruelty, and the willingness to turn a film suddenly in a new direction.

Why it is not above average

For all that, Mickey 17 is a film I enjoyed without ever being blown away. Nothing in it fails, and nothing in it rises above a solid, entertaining evening. It is a good film rather than a standout, and that is the whole reason it lands at a 3.5.

It also does not quite match the reputation of its director. If you come in expecting something on the level of Parasite, you may find it a notch lighter than that.

Who should skip it

Mickey 17 is rated R, with violence, strong language, sexual content and drug material, and it is not a film for children or for a family evening. If you want a tightly plotted sci-fi thriller, this is looser and more satirical than that. And if you expect a Parasite-level masterpiece, adjust your expectations.

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Is Mickey 17 worth watching?

Yes, as good entertainment. It is inventive, well acted and entertaining, but it is not above average and not a must-see. We rate it 3.5 out of 5.

Who directed Mickey 17?

Bong Joon-ho, the Korean director behind Parasite and Snowpiercer.

Is Mickey 17 based on a book?

Yes. It is based on the novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton.

Is Mickey 17 suitable for kids?

No. It is rated R for violent content, language throughout, sexual content and drug material.

How long is Mickey 17?

Roughly 137 minutes.