Mickey 17

Front Row at the Movies by Shirrel Rhoades

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17 is better than 7. That’s the opinion of the Academy Award-winning South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”) – for when he optioned Edward Ashton’s sci-fi book “Mickey-7” for a movie, he changed the title to “Mickey-17.”

Bong was given an advance manuscript of the novel in late 2021. He announced it would be his next movie in January 2022. Production began in August of that year. “Mickey-17” premiered at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2025. It opened in South Korea last week and here in the U.S. this week.

Robert Pattinson (the “Twilight” saga) stars in the title role. Mickey, you will quickly discover, is a clone. In fact, as the title tells you, he is the 17th clone of Mickey Barnes, an expendable worker on the ice planet Nilfheim. 

Financially destitute, Mickey saw signing up for the program as the only way to escape Earth.

On Nilfheim, he takes many dangerous assignments that lead to his death – with a new body being regenerated each time. You see, every time Mickey dies, a new body is regenerated with his memories intact. He’s now up to incarnation number 17, soon to be number 18.

A problem occurs when Mickey-17 doesn’t die as expected on one assignment, and Mickey-18 is created to replace him. Rules of the colony forbid more than one expendable to exist at a time. If this duplication is discovered, both clones will be destroyed.

Therein lies the plot.

His more aggressive replacement wants to be the only Mickey. 

Mickey-18: “I don’t like you. You’re such a little bitch.’
Mickey-17: “But I’m you!”

With one Mickey too many, Mickey-17 becomes a man on the run.

All this is confusing to Nasha, Mickey’s love interest and the girlfriend of one of his previous clones. She is played by Naomi Ackie (“I Wanna Dance with Somebody”).

The villain in “Mickey-17” is a narcissistic politician named Kenneth Marshall. He has a scheme to take over the Nilfheim colony. As Marshall, we have Mark Ruffalo (Marvel’s The Hulk in “Avengers,” “Iron Man,” et al.) stepping out of his usual good guy persona.

Toni Colletti (“Knives Out”) is cast as Marshall’s devious wife, sort of an outer-planet Lady Macbeth.

Steven Yeun (TV’s “The Walking Dead”) plays Mickey’s pilot friend Timo. Steve Park (“The French Dispatch”) takes on the role of Agent Zeke. Holliday Grainger (“Great Expectations”) is Gemma. And Angus Imrie (“Star Trek: Prodigy”) makes a good Shrimp Eyes.

Bong Joon-ho has done science fiction before, the wintry picture “Snowpiercer.” Based on the graphic novel “Le Transperceneige,” that story is set on a futuristic train where passengers are separated according to their social status.

His films often have an element of black comedy and social commentary. “Mickey-17” is no exception.

As for why the movie’s title differs from the original novel, Bong explains that the new number reflects the number of times Mickey dies in his iteration. “I kill him 10 more times,” quips the filmmaker.

Can’t argue with that. 

Besides, as Harry Nilsson used to sing, “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.”

Email Shirrel: srhoades@aol.com