Whether you’re a fan of Robert Pattinson’s inspired performances, Bong Joon Ho’s incredible catalogue of revolutionary films or just always on the lookout for new sci-fi movies, you may have already purchased tickets to see Mickey 17 in theaters. The movie, which premiered in the United States earlier this month, is the latest in a string of critically acclaimed hits from Ho, who previously won the Academy Award for Best Picture for his electrifying 2019 feature Parasite. Like Parasite, Mickey 17 uses a series of complex characters and off-the-walls situations to illustrate themes of class consciousness, systemic oppression and other societal critiques. The movie is a real thinker, so you’d be excused for needing a little assistance interpreting the thrilling climax. Luckily we’ve got you covered, with a comprehensive guide to the movie, its ending and a few of its core ideas.
As you can imagine, there will be major spoilers for Mickey 17 ahead. Please feel free to bookmark this page and return at a later date if you haven’t had the chance to watch the movie in full just yet. Even if you don’t normally mind spoilers, Mickey 17 really benefits from being seen with a fresh pair of eyes. For those of you who have seen the film, let’s dive right in and see what we can learn about Mickey Barnes’ bizarre journey.
What Happens in ‘Mickey 17’?
Robert Pattinson plays Mickey Barnes, who, like many citizens of Earth circa 2054, feels the oppressive sting of unchecked capitalism in his daily life, after he and his best friend Timo fail to launch a successful business. To make matters worse, the duo secured their startup capital from a nefarious loan shark, who’s looking for his cash back with interest by any means necessary. Since they can’t afford to pay, Mickey and Timo attempt to sneak off-planet, by getting low level jobs onboard an intergalactic space ship that’s set to leave Earth for a distant planet called Niflheim. Against all odds, they actually manage to secure spots on the one-way flight, though the partners find themselves in very different roles.
Timo lucks out and gets a cushy job as the ship’s pilot, while Mickey is used as an “expendable” laborer. Once the ship reaches extra-planetary airspace, they are not bound by the laws of any nation, and the higher-ups elect to use cloning technology which has been unilaterally banned on-planet. Mickey is cloned multiple times, and frequently given assignments that see each iteration of clones killed, maimed or otherwise mistreated. Over the course of four years of space travel, 16 different Mickey clones have been blown to smithereens, blasted into the vacuum of space or killed in any number of horrible (but cinematically fascinating) ways. Though his time on the ship is harrowing, Mickey finds some solace in a budding relationship with the vessel’s security guard, Nasha.
Mickey’s New Mission
After landing on Niflheim, Mickey is tasked with capturing a native species called a “creeper” for scientific study. The creature is visually similar to a tardigrade, and seems to behave like an interstellar variant of an Earth bear. During one expedition across the frozen tundra, Mickey clone number 17 falls into a fissure in the ice and is presumed dead, only for a collective of creepers to show up and save him. Mickey is shocked at the intelligence and kindness displayed by the wild animals and equally shocked at the callous response he receives when he eventually returns to the ship. Having thought Mickey 17 was dead, the ship’s captain Kenneth Marshall ordered another clone, who has already taken up residence in Mickey’s living quarters.
This clone, Mickey 18, is significantly more aggressive and temperamental than his predecessor, potentially due to a glitch in the cloning process caused by the two multiples attempting to exist simultaneously. Following Marshall’s protocol, 18 tries to murder 17 on sight, though the latter ultimately convinces him that they should work together. 17 offers to split laborer duties with his clone in order to maintain peace, and even free up a bit of time for some much needed rest and recreation. While the deal seems good at first, the pair quickly learn that their very existence is under attack, as Marshall has ordered a full-scale hunt on any and all clone duplicates. Mickey 17 gets an up-close and personal moment with Marshall during a private dinner, where he is invited to dine on a mysterious new protein source and follow it with a newly synthesized painkiller.
The Busywork Continues
As the dinner comes to a close, Mickey 17 suffers severe pain from the experimental cuisine and untested medicine. Marshall considers killing him to put him out of his misery, though a security guard named Kai interjects. Since Mickey’s intestinal injuries aren’t fatal, Marshall relents and sends the lowly worker back to his room to recover. Unfortunately, when 17 relays this story back to the latest Mickey model, he doesn’t take the implicit threat kindly and plots to assassinate Marshall at a public gala. As this is going on, Nasha catches wind of the dual clones, and quickly warms up to the idea of opening up her relationship to both duplicates. The throuple romance is short-lived, however, when the day of the gala comes, and the entire colony is swept up in unmitigated chaos.
As Marshall presents a rousing speech to his constituents, which some might liken to the ravings of a fascist strongman, Mickey 17 spots a pair of baby creepers emerging from a nearby rock. He attempts to complete his initial assignment by capturing one, as 18 prepares to assassinate Marshall. When 17 returns with one of the creepers, however, the other one follows along, and attacks Marshall in a desperate bid to save its kin. Marshall’s security forces kill the animal and shield him from any danger, which also leads to 18 getting caught as he attempts to storm the stage. With both Mickeys unmasked, and Nasha at their defense, all three are thrown into a jail cell as hordes of creepers line the perimeter of the colony.
Unlocking the Secrets of Niflheim
While inside the brig, Nasha hears the creepers wailing for their captured baby, and asks Mickey to describe his knowledge of the native fauna. 17 tells Nasha about how the creatures peacefully rescued him from the fissure, and she surmises that they are much smarter than the crew previously anticipated. Mentally and emotionally, the creepers have more in common with human beings than they do bears, despite their scary appearance. As the trio device a plan to stop Marshall from harming any more of the native animals, Timo enters, and reveals that the loan shark has contacts that boarded the ship to Niflheim. As a result, someone has to die for leaving the gangster high and dry. Timo tries killing one of the Mickeys, since he considers them expendable, but Nasha and 18 wind up knocking him out and saving 17.
Eventually, the trio are taken to face Marshall, who explains that he’s ordering a full-scale extermination of all creepers on the planet. Nasha attempts to reason with him, explaining that the creepers are highly intelligent, but he refuses to listen. He’s definitely not beating the fascist authoritarian allegations any time soon. In a disturbing show of force, Marshall offers to let one of the Mickeys live, but only if they succeed at killing and collecting creeper tails, which his wife Ylfa plans to process into a food of some sort. To ensure that the clones comply, they are strapped with bomb vests and pushed out into the open tundra. While searching for a creeper nest, Mickey 17 reveals that he smuggled out a complex translation device before the mission, and plans to discuss the situation with the creepers peacefully.
How Does ‘Mickey 17’ End?
The two clones manage to make it into the presence of a creeper leader, who can communicate in plain language using the translator. Here we learn that the two creeper children were named Luko and Zoco. Luko was killed during the attack at the gala, while Zoco is still being held by Marshall’s men for experimentation. The creeper leader explains that they are a nonviolent collective, but threatens to destroy all humans on the planet unless Zoco is returned unharmed. Additionally, the creature demands one human sacrifice, as a recompense for the death of Luko. 17 agrees to help, but warns the creatures of Marshall’s plan. As he discusses the situation, he also radios back to Nasha, and asks her to free Zoco.
Back at the base, Nasha manages to take Ylfa hostage, and negotiates Zoco’s release. While attempting to get Marshall’s attention, she comes to realize that the captain has already left the colony with a team of armed guards, with the intention of following Mickey and wiping out the creeper nest. After sharing her discoveries with a few of her cohorts, Nasha manages to get a few rogue security guards on her side, and arrests Ylfa in the process. She takes Zoco and heads for the creeper’s lair, while radioing ahead to 18 that Marshall is on the way. As Nasha makes it to the nest, 18 tangles in a brutal battle with Marshall and the others. She returns Zoco and ducks for cover, as 18 detonates his bomb vest, wiping out the mercenaries in a stunning act of self sacrifice.
The Aftermath
As ‘Mickey 17’ comes to a close, we see the aftermath of how 17 and Nasha’s actions have impacted the rest of the commune. People learn to live in harmony with the creepers on the planet Niflheim, as Marshall’s collaborators are thrown in jail. Timo managed to get the drop on his loan shark’s accomplice after the man attempted to kill him, essentially closing the loop on his and Mickey’s financial troubles. Nasha takes control of the colony as a fairly elected leader, and ushers in an era of peace and prosperity for her constituents. The final moments of the film see Mickey taking back his identity by destroying the cloning device, signaling an official end to the expendable program. While more difficult circumstances and uncertainty surely awaits, the film ends on a very optimistic note, and sees all the core characters facing their future with joy.
Like many Bong Joon Ho films, it’s impossible to discuss Mickey 17 without discussing politics. Ho has developed a clear and obvious mission statement throughout his body of work, advocating for feminism, anti-racist values and a social safety net that protects the poor. While the South Korean filmmaker has never officially referred to himself as a socialist or communist, his films often center on the injustices faced by those in the lower class. In the case of Mickey 17, Mickey is repeatedly tortured, abused and killed in order to create a better and safer world for a colony of mostly wealthy passengers. While Mickey is not the only character that represents the lower class, it’s clear that his designation as “expendable” is meant to parallel the dangers and subjugation faced by low-level workers in modern society.
The film doesn’t specifically allude to the COVID-19 pandemic in its narrative, but it certainly evokes memories of “essential workers” being forced to brave the threat of illness without receiving any hazard pay during the 2020 lockdowns. If you go back even further, you could compare Mickey’s treatment to that of the workers in the Triangle Shirtwaist factory, who were famously kept in unsafe conditions until the building tragically burned down, killing 146 garment workers. Mickey 17 also highlights the rise of fascism, and showcases how autocrats thrive on disinformation, hatre, and the ostracization of an out-group in order to seize and maintain power. This could be a reflection of the filmmaker’s view on modern politics, as fascism has been on the rise globally for the past decade or so.
Will There Be a ‘Mickey 17’ Sequel?
Though Bong Joon Ho doesn’t normally produce sequels to his work, it’s theoretically possible that the filmmaker might return to Niflheim to tell more stories. No such Mickey 17 sequels have been announced at this time, but the film’s upbeat ending does seem to leave room for more. Either way, if you’re looking for another film to fill that Mickey 17 sized hole in your heart, be sure to check out Bong Joon Ho’s 2013 science fiction outing, Snowpiercer. In many ways, Mickey 17 is a successor to Snowpiercer’s message, updated to reflect the extreme political conditions of the 2020s.
