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Robert Pattinson Earns His Living By Dying in Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17

Robert Pattinson Earns His Living By Dying in Bong Joon Ho&#8217;s <i>Mickey 17</i>

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Robert Pattinson Earns His Living By Dying in Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17

Getting do-overs for capitalism

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Published on September 18, 2024

Screenshot: Warner Bros. Pictures

Robert Pattinson strapped down with a device on his head in Mickey 17

Screenshot: Warner Bros. Pictures

We have been waiting for this trailer, and we are not disappointed. Parasite director Bong Joon Ho, in his first film since Parasite won a pile of Oscars, is back with a new film that looks to be no less pointed than his last. Mickey 17, which Bong adapted from Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey7, tells the story of a man who signs up to be an “expendable” on a distant human colony. He does not read the fine print, which says that when he dies on the (difficult, terrible) job, his body will be recreated, again and again, for more work, and more death. And he’ll remember it.

Even the very brief summary makes the point obvious:

From the Academy Award-winning writer/director of Parasite, Bong Joon Ho, comes his next groundbreaking cinematic experience, Mickey 17. The unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.

Bong’s social commentary is on clear display in this trailer, as is his sense of humor; the opening scene, in which a Mickey loses a hand, is played for laughs, and things just get weirder from there. Pattinson’s choice of voice is intriguing, and the supporting cast—which includes Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo—are clearly equally committed.

Mickey 17 has moved release dates a few times, and is now coming to a theater near you on January 31, 2025. icon-paragraph-end

About the Author

Molly Templeton

Author

Molly Templeton has been a bookseller, an alt-weekly editor, and assistant managing editor of Tor.com, among other things. She now lives and writes in Oregon, and spends as much time as possible in the woods.
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