Mickey 17 is the latest film by acclaimed South Korean writer-director Bong Joon-ho, a science fiction and comedy film starring some of the biggest names in Hollywood right now. The film is centered around a disposable human sent to help colonize a planet, who can be tasked with the more dangerous missions, as he can be killed and regenerated as many times as needed. Mickey 17‘s reviews have been great, showing that Bong Joon-ho is absolutely going to continue making his amazing films.

Bong’s last movie was the universally acclaimed thriller Parasite, which came out in 2019 to rave reviews, and soon after, became the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars. His next film was eagerly awaited for years, and Mickey 17‘s casting made it the more exciting, as Robert Pattinson has proven himself to be an incredibly versatile actor. Thankfully, even though Mickey 17 is so different from Parasite, Bong managed to deliver another exceptional experience, cementing his place as one of the best directors around today.

Parasite’s Oscar Wins Gave Bong Joon-ho Leverage To Make Anything He Wanted

The Director Had Enough Hollywood Sway To Do Anything He Wanted

In 2020, Parasite won four Oscars, for Best International Feature Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture, leaving the ceremony as easily the biggest winner of the year. While Oscar wins are big for anyone, they were likely even more impactful in Bong Joon-ho’s case, because he had made such a monumental breakthrough with Parasite‘s Best Picture win. With that kind of recognition, he absolutely would’ve been given a blank check to make whatever movie he wanted at any studio, regardless of what the film was and who was in it.

With that being said, Bong could’ve easily just accepted directing jobs from anyone who wanted to attach a big name to whatever project they had. If he had wished, Bong could’ve just done film after film, making his money and then moving on to the next one, but he thankfully chose not to. Based on his Oscars speech alone, Bong is clearly a lover of film, and he has decided to use his newfound freedom and access to create art that he believes is worth making, not just for the sake of his or someone else’s bottom line.

Bong Joon-ho’s Ideas & Themes Aren’t Lost In Mickey 17, Despite More Studio Oversight

Bong’s Complete Creative Control Shines Through In A Great Way

Mickey 17 is not as strong as Parasite was, as that film was firing on all cylinders at all times, immediately becoming a modern classic that will undoubtedly endure in cultural consciousness for years to come. Mickey 17 likely won’t sweep all the major awards shows again, as it is a little messier than the director’s previous work, but it is still an immensely creative and wonderful piece of art that everyone involved with was clearly very pᴀssionate about.

While the film was a South Korean production, it was co-produced and distributed by Warner Bros., which meant that Mickey 17 was going to be scrutinized much more than something like the purely South Korean Parasite. Warner Bros. money was on the line for this film, so they would’ve absolutely had a vested interest in turning it into something that they believed would result in a bigger profit. The company even tested a different cut of Mickey 17, which was vetoed by Bong, sticking to his original edit.

With the final cut of Mickey 17 now released, it is clear that it was strictly Bong’s vision, and the movie and Hollywood landscape as a whole are better for it. While the budget is clearly visible, as the film is more bombastic and special effects heavy than most of his previous work, simply watching it is enough to know that this is exactly the movie he wanted to make, with the same kind of cutting satire and heavy themes that were present in Parasite.

Mickey 17 Is The Type Of Bold Blockbuster That Is Becoming Rare

Fewer Studios Are Taking A Risk On Projects Like This

While Mickey 17 may feel like more of an indie movie than the majority of the films surrounding it, its wide release and inflated budget show that it is absolutely a huge Hollywood blockbuster. However, Mickey 17, unfortunately, sits as one of the rare few releases that is actually trying to do something other than make the most money possible for the studio. With how expensive movies have become and how easy it is for a big release to flop, most films prefer to play it as safely as possible.

Mickey 17 has done the opposite of what most movies seem to want and made something incredibly important and different. One point that has been repeated in reviews by all kinds of people, both good and bad, is that Mickey 17 is very weird, which I personally believe is a great breath of fresh air. Too many modern blockbuster movies are all the same tonally, with similar characters that use most of their dialogue to quip at each other. Mickey 17 manages to do something entirely different, using tonal whiplash and insane characters to make something that feels entirely unique.

The other side of Mickey 17 that many films are too scared to include is the social and political commentary that is woven throughout every aspect of the narrative. If a film critiques something politically or socially, the people who are in favor of that thing are probably not going to spend money watching the film, leading to most major productions deciding to play it neutral. Bong clearly has no such qualms, with some Mickey 17 characters having clear real-life political inspirations, and the same kind of anti-capitalist mindset that the best science fiction films have employed.

Hollywood Needs More Movies Like Mickey 17, Not Less, No Matter What The Box Office Totals Are

Hollywood Needs To Continue Funding Movies Like This

Unfortunately for the medium of film, there is a reason that movies like Mickey 17 are becoming rarer, as evidenced by its less-than-stellar box office returns so far. Against its $118 million production budget, it has only made around $94 million after a few weeks in theaters (via Box Office Mojo), and apparently, Mickey 17 could lose around $80 million for the studio. However, that is absolutely not only a result of the movie itself, as there are many extenuating circumstances that have been part of the box office woes.

One of the big reasons that the movie is not doing as well as it was hoped is WB’s marketing strategy, which was seemingly to just not do very much marketing. That, combined with the fact that WB has been conditioning audiences to just wait for streaming, has been a huge factor in the movie’s box office status. However, even if Mickey 17 made no money whatsoever, it is the kind of movie that needs to continue being made, not for the sake of the major film studios, but for the sake of film as a whole.