Satire is a difficult genre to pull off successfully, which is likely part of why it’s grown less common in the modern cinematic landscape. There was a time when satire films were massively popular; goofy blockbusters like “Spaceballs” (1987) and “Scary Movie” (2000) were cultural sensations. Since the early 2000s, satirical films have been less common and, more importantly, more serious. Long gone are the days of crude jokes and genre bullying; instead, satirical filmmaking has become more subtle and thematically poignant. Films like “Brazil” (1985) and “The Truman Show” (1998) have been the blueprints for films like “Get Out” (2017) and “Nightcrawler” (2014)
“Mickey 17” is the latest contemporary satire and one of the most absurd, tonally similar to the aforementioned film, “Brazil.” The film is Korean writer-director Bong Joon-ho’s first project since 2019’s smash-hit Best Picture winner “Parasite.” Although the two films share a similar thematic exploration of class, greed and environmentalism,” Mickey 17” is far more unserious and fantastical. The film is a science fiction work that reads as a straightforward commentary on the current American political scene.
The film stars Robert Pattinson in dual roles as Mickey 17 and Mickey 18, two versions of the Mickey “Expendable.” In the near-future world of “Mickey 17,” an Expendable is a government employee who repeatedly dies for experimentation, only to be reprinted on a “human printer” the next day. He becomes an expendable when he joins an expedition to the planet Niflheim to escape crippling debt to a turpitude loan shark. Mark Ruffalo’s character, former congressman Kenneth Marshall, sees the expedition as an opportunity for personal gain; he embodies fascism and evil capitalistic ideals as a disgraced politician. He sees Niflheim as an opportunity to start a new society, a “pure white planet full of super-people.” Is this Hitlerist dream on the nose? Maybe. But it’s undoubtedly effective. Bong uses this small expedition as a microcosm of human life; conflicting philosophies and socioeconomic struggles riddle the space mission. But no matter where they are on the societal ladder or their beliefs, they all must abide under Marshall’s misguided reign.
The film’s interrogation of dictatorship and capitalism is deeply steeped within the film’s subtext. Ruffalo’s mannerisms, actions and portrayal are seemingly modeled after President Donald Trump’s. Ruffalo does a semi-subtle Trump impression for the majority of the film, and there are some other clear connections to the president, including a scene where there is an attempted assassination of Marshall, only for the perpetrator to miss narrowly. Another clear connector is a scene that cuts the character’s ear off. Although all these connections match Marshall to Trump, director Bong hasn’t confirmed this. He told Entertainment Weekly that Marshall is a “mix of many different politicians.” The fact that the film was also filmed in early 2023 almost wholly negates the assassination aspects of the film. The fact that Marshall so closely (and semi-accidentally) parallels Trump serves as part of the larger message that Bong is trying to send.
Although “Mickey 17” isn’t a one-to-one anti-Trump film, it is a critique of all forms of fascism throughout the global contemporary. The film’s corrupt politician, who feels similar to the president, is a wake-up call to those who believe America’s current political state is normal. Everything that Marshall does in the film is some sort of show. He lies and deceives his followers into submission while behind the scenes committing horrific acts and selfishness. It’s frighteningly familiar.
Although its political commentary is brave and admirable, the film isn’t without its mistakes. The metaphor can sometimes feel heavy-handed and blunt, but that could be seen as part of why it works so well. The most disappointing part about the film is its overall studio feel. Bong is a brilliant, genre-bending, boundary-pushing director, but some of that is lost here. The script has its share of clunky moments; the CGI is overused and pretty poor, and the film feels too polished and clean overall. It loses the grit and semi-indie feel that makes “Parasite” and “Memories of a Murder” great. That being said, the film is still brilliant and freshly ambitious.
“Mickey 17” is a dystopian film, full of corrupt politicians and everyday drabness, but it ends on a positive and hopeful note. Marshall is defeated, and our heroes come out on top. Bong uses an archetypal Hollywood ending to his anything-but narrative. It’s a confusing choice, but somehow, it works. The use of the classic “happy ending” formula serves as a better thematic point than it does narratively. Bong tells the viewers that even in the darkest of times, in the scariest political climates, there are still people who will push through and fight for what’s right.
