Bong Joon Ho’s Sci-Fi Comedy Mickey 17 Lands on Streaming With Dark Humor, Clones, and Sharp Social Commentary

South Korean director Bong Joon Ho, who won multiple Oscars for Parasite in 2020, returned to theaters earlier this year with his new sci-fi comedy Mickey 17. While it’s unlikely to repeat his earlier awards success, the film has earned strong reactions for its strange but engaging mix of dark humor, character drama, and social satire, and it now has a fresh streaming home on Prime Video.

The movie stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, an “Expendable” hired for dangerous space missions where death is expected. Mickey accepts the job to escape his difficult life on Earth, fully aware he will die repeatedly and be reborn as a clone each time.

The film opens with the death of the original Mickey, but the story quickly introduces the seventeenth version—Mickey 17—and later Mickey 18, both played by Pattinson. Each clone has distinct personality traits, and the movie highlights their differences through Pattinson’s performance, especially during scenes where the two share the frame.

One of the film’s standout comedic elements is the series of gruesome but absurdly funny deaths Mickey experiences while performing his assigned tasks. The movie doesn’t shy away from showing how casually everyone treats his demise, making his expendable status central to both the humor and the underlying message.

A key conflict arises because both Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 want to be with their girlfriend, Nasha Barridge, played by Naomi Ackie. With only one Nasha and two Mickeys, the situation becomes chaotic, awkward, and central to the emotional tension of the story.

Mickey’s best friend, Timo (Steven Yeun), adds another layer to the satire by treating Mickey’s survival as optional at best. At one point, he even chooses not to save Mickey 17 from deadly exposure because he sees no reason to risk himself when a new clone is always waiting back at the base.

The film also features Mark Ruffalo as Kenneth Marshall, a leader whose ruthless pragmatism and disregard for environmental and human consequences make him an unmistakable villain. His portrayal echoes the behavior of real-world figures who justify destruction in the name of progress, reinforcing the film’s critique of dehumanizing leadership.

As the story progresses, the focus shifts toward the alien species known as Creepers, semi-grotesque beings whose role becomes crucial to the film’s later developments. These aliens serve as a metaphor for humanity’s neglect of animals and ecosystems, but what makes them unique is their ability to voice humanity’s wrongdoings and act on them.

Bong Joon Ho gives the Creepers unexpected emotional depth, encouraging viewers to empathize with them rather than fear them. They are not portrayed as the true antagonists; instead, the film suggests that humans—and specifically those in power—pose the greater threat.

Central to the story is the idea that the Mickey clones might have a chance to repair the damage done to the Creepers before something catastrophic happens to the rest of humanity. This creates tension and urgency as the film explores responsibility, identity, and the consequences of repeated exploitation.

For more background on the film, you can visit the official Mickey 17 page on IMDb or check its streaming availability on Prime Video.