This article contains spoilers for Mickey 17.Mickey 17 is the latest sci-fi comedy from South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, coming almost six years after his historic Oscar victory for Parasite. The film is based on Ashton Edward’s acclaimed novel “Mickey7”, which follows an unlucky volunteer who signs up for a covert project in space, where he’s forced to die over and over again in the pursuit of scientific research. But when he’s accidentally cloned too early, he’s forced to work alongside his doppelgänger to protect a species of endangered creatures in humanity’s new home.
Mickey 17 has opened to overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics following its premiere at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, dispelling any fears that Bong Joon-ho’s comeback may not be as strong as many hoped. However, one aspect of the film that’s being widely discussed and questioned is its ending, which feels very tonally distinct from the rest of the film.
Mickey 17 Has A Dream About Marshall In The Movie’s Ending
The Protagonist Imagines That Marshall Will Be Reprinted
Perhaps the most polarizing aspect of Mickey 17’s ending is the dream sequence in which Toni Collette’s character Ylfa is seen reprinting her husband Marshall and forcing Mickey to taste her latest sauce. It’s a very surreal sequence that almost feels out of place in comparison to the rest of the film, but it speaks volumes about the themes that Bong Joon-ho is trying to push home. The dream happens just before Mickey destroys the human printer forever, effectively ending the human exploitation that he’s fallen victim to and allowing himself to live as Mickey Barnes, not “Mickey 17”.
What Mickey 17’s Dream Really Means
There’s A Sharp Commentary Behind The Surrealism
However, actually dissecting the meaning of this dream is more subjective. It’s clear that we’re seeing these events through the lens of Mickey’s subconscious, so it’s safe to ᴀssume that this vision is some kind of manifestation of his darkest fears. Perhaps his fear is that Marshall will return in the future; this would make sense, as his unique situation means that he’s never viewed death as something permanent before. Every time he’s died, he’s been reprinted – so this dream may be his brain’s way of coming to terms with the fact that his counterpart has killed somebody for good.
Ylfa forcing Mickey to taste her sauce seems like a commentary on the selfish, demanding nature of capitalism. It’s expressed throughout the film that she harbors no sympathy for the Creepers, and the recurring motif of the sauce represents this – it doesn’t get more obvious than her enjoying the taste of their ᴅᴇᴀᴅ bodies. By trying to force this sauce upon Mickey, the dream cements her as somebody who’s completely out-of-touch with the world around her, and Mickey’s refusal to comply frames him as somebody who’s broken free from the corporate greed that surrounds him.
