Following Parasiteās success, Bong Joon Hoās English-language sciāfi Mickey 17, adapted from Edward Ashton, underperformed at the box office despite solid reviews and a 78% Rotten Tomatoes score. It has since found new life on HBO Max, routinely appearing in the platformās top 10, earning the status of a sleeper hit. The story centers on Mickey Barnes, an expendable on a colony mission to a frozen world, who is repeatedly cloned after death and becomes the 17th version, triggering a layered rebellion with his partner and others against a tyrannical leader and his scheming wife. Streaming availability lowers the entry barrier, inviting audiences to engage with the filmās exploration of capitalism and worker treatment, and momentum could extend its cultural footprint beyond the theatrical window.
Dive Deeper:
The film followed a highāprofile adaptation after Parasiteās success, with critics giving Mickey 17 positive reviews, yet its box office reported at about $133 million on a $118 million budget, indicating underperformance relative to expectations.
On screen, Robert Pattinsonās Mickey Barnes joins a crew planning to colonize Niflheim and is tasked with hazardous exposure so the crew can learn from his death, with his memories saved in clones to continue his work as the 17th version.
A key plot turn involves an attempt by Mickey 17 to survive alongside an 18th Mickey and a moral choice to keep both alive, which clashes with colony rules and fuels internal conflict.
The cast also includes Naomi Ackie as the love interest, and the narrative intersects with a broader rebellion against a Trumpāesque politician led by Mark Ruffalo, supported by Toni Collette.
Critics noted mixed reception and marketing challenges as factors in the filmās box office performance, suggesting audiences may have been worn down by the bizarre vocal performance and other quirks.