"Mickey 17" is a science fiction film by Bong Joon-ho that speaks with disarming simplicity about what makes us human. After the triumph of "Parasite," expectations for the project were even slightly overheated, but resisting its charm is quite a dif...

Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) is a guy who owes the wrong people and flees a dying Earth to the planet Niflheim as part of a colonization mission. Without reading the contract carefully, he becomes an "expendable": complete tasks, die, resurrect, start over. Each copy of Mickey inherits the memories of the previous ones. Immersing ourselves in the world's lore, we see the story of the hero's seventeen deadly missions, until the last one leaves two clones instead of one, face to face.

Mickey 17 is melancholic, as if woven from scars and fatigue. Mickey 18 is impulsive, with a rage hiding the fear of being erased. This is one of Pattinson's best roles: he masterfully distinguishes between the two characters, who appear in the same scenes, through voice, tone, and shades of personality.

"Mickey 17" does not repeat the dark hypnosis of "Memories of Murder" or the striking "Parasite." It is a science fiction comedy, half satire, half farce, but with Bong Joon-ho's recognizable style. The visual design is one of the film's main strengths. Thanks to the work of production designers and cinematographer Darius Khondji, the icy Niflheim has become a full-fledged living character in the film. And the storyline with the "creepies," who became the main crowd-pleasers and are clearly inspired by "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind," cannot fail to touch.

Evgeny Belousov

Hayao Miyazaki — Wizard of the Land of Dreams: Why We Love Every Work of the Genius Animator?

On December 7, possibly the last anime by the brilliant Hayao Miyazaki, "The Boy and the Heron," will be released in official Russian distribution. In this regard, our editorial team decided to briefly tell why

Open material

The satire is familiar, like news in a feed, but no less striking. The characters of Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette — disgraced politician, colony leader Kenneth Marshall, and his wife Ilfa — are caricatured but frighteningly real: he is a despot with delusions of grandeur, she is the creepiest "first lady" imaginable.

The film partly turns into a story about how finding (and keeping) love and happiness is possible in the most difficult circumstances. The romance between Nasha (Naomi Ackie) and Mickey is a successful example of sincere, healthy relationships, even in the crazy context of the situation. Scenes closer to the finale, where Nasha protects and fights for Mickey, are among the most touching and beautiful in the film.

Undoubtedly, the multi-layered approach of "Mickey 17" has its "rough edges." Fully enjoying his well-deserved creative freedom, Bong Joon-ho applies many different ideas simultaneously, and it cannot be said that every minute they all work perfectly. However, in the end, the pleasure derived from one of the director's kindest and most human films overcomes underlying skepticism.

To some, "Mickey 17" may seem too light, but such stories are needed. Especially now. In a world saturated with irony, it remains sincere, trying to find its identity in a crazy and chaotic world. Just like us.