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Mickey 17 is the brand-new film by Bong Joon Ho, whose rich and storied history saw him win an Oscar for Parasite just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Here he switches to the English language for a near future sci-fi dystopian focused around Expendables, where anyone who signs up for the project is reborn as a new model – so is naturally sent on perilous missions every time they die. Mickey – who joined up to escape a mobster, finds himself caught on a space venture into the abyss – jettisoned in early March like it was designed to be forgotten; a disservice to the director with hit after hit to his name. Of course it was always going to be good – a slamdunk of a satire that pokes fun at Trump, Musk and the far future.

Stepping into the role as a Trump/Muskian hybrid you have Mark Ruffalo as a babyish but ruthless, quick-to-anger Kenneth Marshall, a touch on the nose but a born leader – Hollywood has been doing the best it can to avoid offending the current White House whereas previously it wasn’t afraid to speak out, so to get a character like Marshall in modern cinema feels pretty much revolutionary in its own right. His vain populist leader inspires people in red hats to join up with him on a quest of colonisation – but the awe and respect people have for him quickly fades the more they operate within his circle. It’s the colony project – a tool designed by Marshall to ensure a new home for Earth in 2054, but those expecting a straightforward science fiction epic are looking in the wrong place. The slapstick humour dovetails into romance and then into horror at the touch of a button, often within single scenes. It’s a return to the Bong Joon Ho formula of old – this is very much the man that bought us Snowpiercer and Okja, and you can’t help but laugh at every unfortunate situation that Pattinson’s Mickey finds himself in.

The film pokes fun at the capitalist nature of current society and Pattinson is the perfect vehicle. His chemistry with Naomi Ackie is instant; ride-or-die type relationship established from the get go, and you quickly buy into their pairing – Ackie’s Nasha is someone who has real agency and cares for each of the Mickeys even though they in turn are their own person – I found myself looking at the casting credits expecting Mickeys 17 and 18 to be played by different actors, but it’s always Robert Pattinson, terrific of course in arguably, a career best performance. He’s at the bottom of the food chain – following Steven Yeun’s Timo, childhood bully, around looking for a purpose, and even when he is fed deliberately disgusting food he can’t help but admire the people serving him the gruel. It takes Nasha to inspire that growth in him, and Mickey 18 – more confident, rash and daring – to bring out the best in Mickey 17. Mickey after all is the one who is put through hell – you need someone to test whether the air on an alien planet is friendly to humans? Mickey’ll do it. You need someone to spacewalk? There’s a Mickey. It’s a funny scenario that strips apart Mickey’s soul – and Pattinson plays this brilliantly and consistently superbly throughout – full of wit, full of charm and vulnerability. His chemistry with Ackie in both versions is exquiste, they’re a match made in heaven – more romantic than most romcom leads. This will be a Challengers for many people.

The ending itself is where the film dovetails into Darmok territory. Conversations with aliens who can’t understand humans vs. a dictator that wants to kill them all without talking to them isn’t exactly new ground, but Bong Joon Ho is able to flex his creative muscles in a way that really works wonders. The magical escalation of the stakes; the charming humour and satire that keeps both characters afloat – dark humour running consistently from beginning to end. It’s not traditionally American humour per say – those attuned to the more traditional blockbuster style of comedy will find it takes some time to adjust to Mickey 17.

If you’re comparing it to Parasite you’re comparing it to the wrong film – it’s more of a Snowpiercer situation if anything – or Okja. But it’s a real showcase for the strength of Naomi Ackie and Robert Pattinson, and for Mark Ruffalo to have the creative time of his life. It is wickedly funny, endearing emotions that tugs at the heartstrings, and covers a lot of ground in the most effective way possible. Brave, bold and daringly original – it’s one of the best science fiction films of the decade so far.

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