Mickey 17
The brief
Bong Joon Ho turns workplace dystopia into darkly comic science fiction, with Robert Pattinson playing a disposable corporate drone who literally dies for his job and gets cloned back to life. The film bounces between existential dread and absurdist humor in that distinctly Bong way, though it never quite reaches the surgical precision of Parasite or Snowpiercer. Pattinson leans into the physical comedy and mounting paranoia as multiple versions of himself start causing problems, while the supporting cast (especially Toni Collette) chews through the corporate satire with obvious glee. Perfect for fans of Eternal Sunshine's mind-bending concepts mixed with the workplace horror of Sorry to Bother You.
The verdict
If you love Bong Joon Ho's signature blend of dark satire and sci-fi weirdness, this delivers Robert Pattinson at his most unhinged in a brilliantly twisted corporate nightmare. If you need your science fiction streamlined or can't handle 137 minutes of existential workplace comedy, this overstuffed clone chaos will test your patience.
Watch with
- 👤 Solo viewers who appreciate cerebral sci-fi
- 👥 Friends who love dark comedy discussions
- ⚠️ Skip for family movie night
Heads up
- Repeated character deaths (clone premise) (frequent)
- Corporate dystopia themes (moderate)
- Existential identity crisis content (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Bong Joon Ho
- Cast
- Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Anamaria Vartolomei, Daniel Henshall
Official synopsis
Unlikely hero Mickey Barnes finds himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Perfect Blue (1998)
Both explore fractured identity and psychological horror through body transformation.
Total runtime: 2h 17m + 1h 22m = 3h 39m
