An intimate epic, the $151 million sci-fi thriller “Mickey 17” arrives in theaters nationwide Friday following a triumphant Berlin Film Festival world premiere.
It’s a wild, often comical ride executive produced by Brad Pitt and starring Robert Pattinson (“The Batman”). It’s also notable as South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho’s first film since making history by winning three Academy Awards – Best Picture, Director and Screenwriter – for “Parasite,” Oscar’s first-ever (and so far only) Best Picture winner not in English.
“Mickey One” is set in a world where a man can sign up to be an Expendable. As a disposable clone worker, every time Mickey dies he returns fully imprinted. As the title announces, Mickey has been regenerated 17 times.
Several times in the film he’s asked, ” What is it like to die?” It’s a key question, says Naomi Ackie, who costars as Mickey’s lover and ally Nasha Barridge and is best known as Channing Tatum’s nemesis in last year’s “Blink Twice” thriller.
“That is this really big question of mortality, right? Like,” she said in a Zoom interview, “the fact that we only have one life and you only die once adds a lot of value to your life.
“So the other question is: How are you living? What life are you living? And is it a life of love and connection? Or is it one of divisiveness and cruelty?
“I definitely know which one I’m picking,” she laughed.
As to who exactly is Nasha, “She’s a whole lot of women. She works in what I guess you could call Security on this ship, on this planet called Nilfheim. She is one of the staff members who keep things turning,
“She’s also in a relationship with Mickey from quite early on. She finds herself in a relationship with many of them as he dies and is reprinted. So you could say she’s one of the most dedicated lovers that’s ever been written.
“Nasha, as part of her core nature, doesn’t adhere to societal norms in any way. She just doesn’t jive with people she thinks talk crap.
“Her relationship with Mickey is a game changer for the society that is being created on this planet. She’s the only person at the beginning who sees a humanity in this person who everyone else sees as disposable. I think over time, that relationship helps to save all of them from demise.
“But it’s not in a purposeful way. It’s romantic. Yet it’s a very normal, everyday relationship. It’s not held on a pedestal. It’s just that, by virtue of them talking and being in close contact and wanting to save each other and wanting to be around each other, that they make these discoveries. And end up saving their new planet.”
“Mickey 17” is in theaters Friday