Mickey 17 is an sci-fi comedy written and directed by Bong Joon-ho (Parasite, Okja, Snowpiercer, The Host).
Robert Pattinson plays Mickey Barnes. When their business venture fails, Mickey and his friend Timo undertake a perilous journey to the planet Nilfheim. But unlike other passengers, Mickey is an ‘Expendable.’
His employers pay him to complete lethal assignments. Whenever he dies, which is often, they dispose of his corpse before using cloning technology to reprint him. Mickey 17, the 17th clone, returns home after an assignment that should have killed him to find Mickey 18, his replacement clone, already there.
Boong Joon-Ho is a storytelling genius best known for his unique concepts. Mickey 17 began its life as a novel. NPR added it to their list of 2022’s best Science Fiction books. Reviewers praised the novel’s multi-layered story.
When questioned about the adaptation, Edward Ashton (the author) understood that Joon-ho would make significant alterations to the book, but the changes did not concern him because he respected Joon-ho’s storytelling abilities.
The movie’s critics agree, having given Mickey 17 a Rotten Tomatoes score of 81 per cent (83 per cent Audience rating). They praised Pattinson for deftly portraying two clones and making each clone a distinct individual. They also praised the director’s dark humour and the film’s surprisingly optimistic tone. You can watch Mickey 17 in cinemas today.
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