2025 has had its fair share of great movies, but sadly, a bunch of them have been overlooked. “Black Bag,” “The Long Walk” and “Warfare” are just a few examples. Thankfully, the biggest streaming services tend to pick up these forgotten releases, with Prime Video adding “Mickey 17” to its lineup. I had a blast watching the sci-fi comedy in March, but haven’t heard anything about following its average box office performance.
“Mickey 17” comes from director Bong Joon Ho (best known for “Parasite”) and stars Robert Pattinson in the lead role. I knew from the premise alone that it was going to be a weird experience, but I didn’t expect it to be one of the strangest movies I’ve seen in 2025 (and that’s a compliment). The movie is an expertly assembled sci-fi adventure that maintains a steady mix of suspense and laughs throughout, which is why it’s such a shame the hype was so short-lived.
Now that “Mickey 17” is streaming on Prime Video, I’m hopeful it will finally get the attention it deserves, even eight months later. If you’re looking for something to stream this week, here’s why you should add “Mickey 17” to your watchlist.
What is ‘Mickey 17’ about?
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Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) is part of a human expedition to colonize a frozen planet called Niflheim. He signs up as an “expendable,” which is a role that requires him to undertake lethal missions. Every time he dies, he’s reprinted, meaning a fresh clone is made with most of his memories intact. Over multiple iterations, he repeatedly throws himself into danger all for the sake of the colony.
On his seventeenth iteration, Mickey survives a fall into an icy crevasse, where he is rescued by strange alien creatures. Meanwhile, back at the base, a new clone named Mickey 18 has already been printed. When Mickey 17 returns, things get tense. The colony’s leader, Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), has zero tolerance for “multiples” (two Mickeys at once).
Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 must figure out how to coexist and avoid annihilation. Alongside him is his friend Timo (Steven Yeun), who becomes a pilot, and Nasha (Naomi Ackie), a security officer who cares deeply for Mickey.
‘Mickey 17’ should be on your watchlist this week
I usually watch at least one trailer for every movie so I can get a quick glimpse of what I’m getting into. “Mickey 17” was a rare exception since it wasn’t on my radar in March, and I walked into the early screening with absolutely no clue what the central plot was. Safe to say, I spent half the movie wondering what was happening (in the best way).
“Mickey 17” never shies away from how bizarre it is. The movie leans into its own strangeness with total confidence, and that commitment lets it wander into the oddest corners without ever losing you. Within the first ten minutes, the movie establishes its tone by introducing Pattinson’s Mickey, whose almost childlike way of talking and responding immediately makes him feel delightfully off-kilter.
Before you can fully settle in, though, the story jumps back to show how Mickey ended up signing away his life to be cloned in the first place, and why he’s currently lying at the bottom of an icy crevasse. Desperate to leave Earth, the original Mickey takes the job no one else wants, only to be thrown into absurdly dangerous scenarios, from radiation tests outside the ship to clones enduring slow, painful deaths. And, of course, being a dark comedy, it’s all made darkly funny by his witty voiceover.
“Mickey 17” isn’t exactly the kind of movie I’d normally gravitate toward, but after two hours of offbeat sci-fi, I came out genuinely surprised and thoroughly entertained. The performances are solid across the board, but what really makes the movie shine are the character dynamics. These relationships keep the story engaging from beginning to end, giving the chaos a surprising emotional core.
And then there’s Pattinson, of course. He’s not just playing clones, but he’s playing clones with completely different personalities, so you don’t even need to check the numbers to know which Mickey is which. That’s all thanks to Pattinson’s incredible range.
I’m not entirely surprised that “Mickey 17” has been overlooked since its release, given its bizarre nature (and the surprising lack of marketing), but I’m hopeful that its new home on Prime Video will finally give it the recognition it deserves. It may be one of Bong Joon Ho’s weaker movies, but it’s still a blast, and I’m confident it will land in the streamer’s top 10 in the coming days.
Stream “Mickey 17” on Prime Video now.
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