Bong Joon Ho’s latest movie is the purity of its romance. The relationship between Naomi Ackie’s Nasha and Robert Pattinson’s multiple Mickeys may come across as strange or comical at first, but it soon becomes clear that their dynamic embodies much of the film’s message. If there’s any doubt of that, just look to the marriage between the very human yet entirely inhumane Ylfa (Toni Collette) and Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo).
Mickey is what is known in the film’s universe as an Expendable, having traded his debts on Earth for immortal servitude on a colonization mission to the planet Niflheim. He does the odd and dangerous jobs on the ship – and on the planet – and simply gets “reprinted” with all his old memories every time his current body dies. Viewers first meet him as Mickey 17, but we are shown glimpses of his previous copies throughout the film, and it’s clear each one has a personality of their own. And yet, Nasha has loved each of them from day one.
ScreenRant interviewed Ackie and Collette about their respective romances in Mickey 17 and how each contributes to the larger narrative. Furthermore, Collette revealed exactly why she thinks “there’s nobody like” Bong, and Ackie explained why she would never choose to be reprinted.
Mickey 17’s Unique Romantic Connection As Explained By Naomi Ackie
“How Did We Get Together? How Does This Work?”
One of the central questions Mickey 17 grapples with is what defines humanity, both as a society or species and as an individual being worthy of their own autonomy. The would-be citizens of Niflheim, for example, treat Mickey as if he were less than human because he is literally expendable - but Nasha sees him (and perhaps all versions of him) as an equal partner. Given the circumstances, even Ackie herself acknowledged that it was an interesting question to tackle.
“Even when we were filming,” the actor itted, “It was like, ‘How did we get together? How does this work?’” Her conclusion? “I think Nasha at the core of her has this thing about looking after people, defending the underdog.”
She just can't take BS, and I think she sees a lot of people treating him differently.
Ackie was almost as ionate about Mickey’s mistreatment as Nasha is in the movie. “She just can't take BS, and I think she sees initially sees a lot of BS around him; a lot of people treating him differently,” the actor explained. “And it's like, ‘Well, what the f--k is that about?’” Some people may shy away from a connection built by pity, but Mickey is understandably grateful for any form of positive human . “I imagine that may come as a surprise,“ Ackie added, but “obviously out of that comes their loving connection.”
Mickey 17 Review: I Can’t Believe WB Made Me Worry Bong Joon Ho’s New Movie Would Be Anything But Great
Bong has crafted a large-scale genre film that, for all its oddness, goes down pretty easy. But Mickey 17 still manages to have a lot on its mind.
It's a connection that’s totally different from Ylfa and Kenneth’s, which has all the outward signs of marital bliss but barely conceals a disdain for everyone around them. As the leaders of the expedition, they consider themselves superior to their followers while actually being closer to the blind leading the blind – it’s a storyline that’s darkly analogous to the real world but that nevertheless was a riot for Collette. “We just had the time of our lives playing these characters,” she gushed.
She praised Ruffalo in particular, who has to walk the delicate tightrope of carrying much of the film’s humor without allowing his character to become all parody and no personality. “You could easily fall into a caricature kind of area,” Collette expounded. “But he grounds this lunatic in a way that really works, and he honestly made me laugh every single day.”
Mark is hilarious. He's a hilarious guy, he really went for it, and I ed it… He's just so smart as an actor, and I think he can see that we're having fun. Honestly, it was so much fun.
There’s Only One Bong Joon Ho – So Don’t Reprint Him
“I Don’t Want To Mess With Nature”
Collette’s filmography reads more like a Who’s Who of Hollywood Directors, as she’s worked with greats from Clint Eastwood to M. Night Shyamalan and Guillermo del Toro. But Mickey 17 had her insisting that “There's nobody like Bong Joon Ho,” and with good reason. “He's a true original, and his work is truly original. It's a reflection of the way he thinks and the person he is.”
But while “he doesn't care what anybody else thinks,” as evidenced by some of the more outlandish of his movie ideas that make for risky box office bets, he is not an artist who makes the actual act of working unbearable. “He is such a joy to work with,” the actor insisted. “He just does what he wants, and it's such a joy to come up against something like that. It's so exciting."
If the world of Mickey 17 was real, some might wish to print themselves another Bong to generate even more wild and unique movie ideas, but Ackie in particular was aghast at the suggestion of applying the science fiction technology of the story to real life. “I don't like messing with that stuff,” she explained, preferring to let nature take its course. “I don't want to go back to cave mandates, but my goodness.” As for how her character would answer that question, you’ll just have to watch the movie and see.
Mickey 17 is now playing in theaters.
Source: Screen Rant Plus
Mickey 17
- Release Date
- February 28, 2025
- Runtime
- 137 minutes
- Director
- Bong Joon Ho
Cast
Mickey Barnes
Naomi AckieNasha
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Bong Joon Ho
Your comment has not been saved