Following its premiere at the 75th Berlin Film Festival, Bong Joon-ho‘s Mickey 17, starring Robert Pattinson, has received its first reviews along with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 85% from critics.
According to early reactions, Mickey 17 is ‘tremendous—funny, violent, endearing—and then settles into something more powerful and timely in classic Director Bong fashion.’ The entire cast is praised, with Mark Ruffalo being especially entertaining. A definite recommendation, especially for fans of big, smart, and unconventional sci-fi.
According to X user @firstshowing, ‘Mickey 17 — Joon-ho is back with another wacky, fun, and kooky sci-fi adventure, this time with a proper big budget! I’m so glad they let him go wild with a Hollywood budget to create this anti-capitalist, animal-loving movie about a clone realizing he doesn’t like being expendable.
According to X user @HollywoodHandle, ‘Mickey 17 is a stunning exploration of human advancement, even delving into the significance of meaningful communication with alien lifeforms. Bong Joon-ho poses a poignant question about the nature of death, making for a thought-provoking cinematic experience.’
The film is written and directed by Joon-ho, based on the 2022 novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton.
Here’s the plot details for Mickey 17:
The unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes (Pattinson) has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.
The film also stars Naomi Ackie as Nasha Adjaya, Steven Yeun as Berto, Toni Collette as Gwen Johansen, Mark Ruffalo as Hieronymous Marshall, Holliday Grainger, Anamaria Vartolomei, Thomas Turgoose, Angus Imrie as Shrimp Eyes, Patsy Ferran, Daniel Henshall, and Steve Park as Agent Zeke.
The film is produced by Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Joon Ho, and Dooho Choi. The executive producers are Brad Pitt, Jesse Ehrman, Peter Dodd, and Marianne Jenkins. The director of photography is Darius Khondji. The production designer is Fiona Crombie. It is edited by Yang Jinmo. The visual effects supervisor is Dan Glass, and the costume designer is Catherine George.
Mickey 17 will be released in South Korea on February 28, 2025, and worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It will hit theaters nationwide on January 31, 2025, and internationally beginning on January 28, 2025.
