Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Mickey 17’ a shaggy, ambitious satire
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Robert Pattinson as Mickey 18, left, and Mickey 17 in a scene from "Mickey 17."
Warner Bros. Pictures via AP
Multiple Robert Pattinsons, frequent tonal whiplash and an alien planet full of "creepers" highlight the latest English-language film by Bong Joon-ho, the South Korean filmmaker behind 2019’s Oscar-winning “Parasite.”
The “English-language” bit in that description serves as a warning to audiences who may be expecting a more cohesive film experience after seeing “Parasite,” the first non-English language film to ever win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. “Parasite” is a certifiable masterclass in tone, direction and screenwriting, whereas Joon-ho’s career sensibilities sometimes stretch into some absurd territory.
His other English-language films, 2013’s “Snowpiercer” and 2017’s “Okja,” illustrate the filmmaker’s tendency for audacious risk-taking. “Mickey 17,” loosely based on a novel by Edward Ashton, fits snugly alongside those efforts, mixing dense science fiction with both sentimentality and political satire.