It’s Robert Pattinson's world and we’re just living in it. In this case, it’s Mickey’s world, an ice planet called Niflheim. Let’s backtrack a bit. The sci-fi comedy that is Mickey 17 was first announced in January 2022 as an adaptation of Edward Ashton's novel Mickey7. With Bong Joon-ho attached, Hollywood was instantly clamoring for the project, coming off his Best Picture Oscar win for Parasite. Mickey 17 was set to release in March of 2024, but was pushed amid the SAG-AFTRA strike; then pushed again, because that’s show business baby.
The film is set in the future and follows a down-on-his-luck man who volunteers as an “Expendable” with a space colony (read: a completely disposable worker who is continuously killed and cloned in the name of research). We needn't say more to show that this film is a commentary on capitalism and industry as a destructive force to humanity. We needn’t, but we shall.
This mission is led by a failed politician, played masterfully by Mark Ruffalo; and by the time we meet the eponymous 17th Mickey, his original self has already been reprinted 16 times. Mickey 17 unexpectedly survives a dangerous mission, returning to meet the preemptively printed Mickey 18. How did he survive? The creepers of Niflheim, of course. If you’ve seen it, you get it. If you haven’t, you will. Let’s move forward.
Now, our boy Mickey 17 is stuck in limbo, thought to be dead, but revitalized with a new will to live – plus, a will to destroy the entire expendable system and live in harmony with the creepers on the planet Niflheim. Meanwhile, our evil politician (read: politician) reveals his plans to exterminate the planet’s indigenous creatures, counting on Mickey's 17 and 18 to do the dirty work. That brings us to our ending.
How does Mickey 17 end?
Under attack by Ruffalo’s war machine, Niflheim’s creeper community is on guard. Mickey 17, ever the reluctant hero, warns the creepers of Marshall’s plot to use nerve gas to wipe them out. But he’s not in this alone—Mickey 18, in a true sacrifice moment, decides to blow himself up to take Marshall down. Action, conflict, intergalactic war, etc. When the final showdown arrives, it’s Mickey 17’s lover Nasha (Naomi Ackie) who invites him to push a big red button, destroying the human printer that made his existence (and the 16 before his) possible.
Before Mickey hits the big red button, there’s a mind-bending dream sequence. Mickey confronts the politician’s wife Ylfa, played by Toni Collette, in a surreal, almost prophetic moment where he calls out the hypocrisy of their actions. It’s all about confronting the systems that fail us—and Bong Joon-ho makes sure we’re aware of it. He’s not giving us a sci-fi flick just for the sake of spectacle. There’s a much deeper message here.
The film reflects our current world—one marked by a barrage of climate disasters, hatred, and a general feeling of crushing helplessness. Despite it all, Mickey 17 serves up hope, showing that even the most powerless underdog can rise above the chaos.
In the end, Mickey 17 is the story of a guy who’s just trying to make it through life, dealing with impossible odds, and somehow, finding his place in the chaos. It's not about being the hero. It's about surviving the mess we’ve created—and maybe, just maybe, making things a little better along the way.
