Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 has debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a solid score that marks a strong return for the Academy Award-winning director. The film is a high-concept adaptation of Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey7. Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, an “expendable” worker who regenerates a new version of himself after each death while on a dangerous mission to colonize an icy planet. While not quite matching the heights of Parasite‘s near-perfect 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Mickey 17 is off to a strong start with critics.
With just a few weeks left until the movie’s wide release, Rotten Tomatoes has calculated the debut score for Mickey 17. At the time of writing, the sci-fi black comedy is currently sitting at an 84% approval rating from critics on the review aggregate platform, calculated from 25 reviews. Though the score falls well short of Bong’s previous success with the Oscar-winning Parasite, it’s still a strong start for the film.
What The Critics Score Means For Mickey 17
A Strong Return To The Screen After A Six-Year Gap
Since making his directorial debut with the dark comedy Barking Dogs Never Bite, Bong Joon-ho has stood out as one of the few filmmakers in history to have every movie in their filmography land on the positive side of the Rotten Tomatoes scale. Even as he’s jumped through genres with everything from adapting sci-fi graphic novels with Snowpiercer to true-crime-inspired neo-noir thrillers like Memories of Murder, it’s clear that critics remain gripped by the writer/director’s work. Check out how Mickey 17 compares to his full filmography on Rotten Tomatoes below:
|
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Barking Dogs Never Bite |
88% |
76% |
|
Memories of Murder |
95% |
92% |
|
The Host |
93% |
72% |
|
Tokyo! |
76% |
72% |
|
Mother |
96% |
89% |
|
Snowpiercer |
94% |
72% |
|
Okja |
87% |
81% |
|
Parasite |
99% |
96% |
|
Mickey 17 |
84% |
N/A |
However, while Mickey 17 may be off to a strong start on the platform, its more modest Rotten Tomatoes score could spell trouble for how audiences respond to it. Up to this point, none of his films have seen the audience score overtake that of the critics’, with many even finding themselves upwards of 22 points below them. Though critics and audiences certainly don’t always agree, if there is generally a more cautious response from them to Bong’s movies, Mickey 17 may also find itself on the lower end of the Fresh scale.
Our Take On Mickey 17’s Debut Rotten Tomatoes Score
Pattinson & Bong Joon-ho Make A Good Team
While the highly anticipated Mickey 17 may not yet be another Parasite, it is clear that Bong Joon-ho remains one of the most innovative directors working today. Pattinson’s performance is already being praised as a standout, as well as the film’s critical themes. The film’s strong critical reception, combined with its thought-provoking premise, stunning visuals and stellar performances, suggests that the film will resonate with both sci-fi lovers and those who follow Pattinson and Bong Joon-ho’s careers.
As the movie finally nears its March 7 release date after nearly an entire year of delays, it will be interesting to see if audiences resonate with the film and align their reactions with those of the critics. With its mix of sci-fi, dark humor, and Bong Joon-ho’s acclaimed direction, Mickey 17 is sure to offer plenty of material for discussion long after the credits roll.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
Mickey 17
- Release Date
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March 25, 2025