Mickey 17 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Bong Joon-Ho’s Vision Elevates Sci-Fi Storytelling 

Bong Joon-Ho’s Mickey 17 is not just a film—it’s an experience. Adapted loosely from Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey7, the story follows Mickey, an “expendable” employee on the run from a notorious loan shark who is cloned repeatedly to perform perilous tasks on a frozen colonizing mission. While the premise echoes familiar sci-fi tropes, Bong injects it with existential dread and dark humor, crafting a narrative that dissects class struggle, the ethics of exploitation, and environmentalism, bringing together themes from his previous films like Snowpiercer, Parasite, and Okja. The icy, claustrophobic setting becomes a character itself, reflecting Mickey’s fractured psyche as he grapples with the weight of his own cyclical existence. 

Robert Pattinson: A Masterclass in Subtlety 

Pattinson delivers a career-defining performance, continuing his expanding acting palette from his Twilight days, embodying Mickey’s evolution from resigned martyr to defiant rebel. His portrayal is understated yet magnetic—a flicker of rage in a stoic gaze, a tremor in his voice as he confronts the callousness of his overseers. The film’s genius lies in how it juxtaposes Pattinson against his own clones, each iteration subtly differing in weariness and resolve. Supporting actors like Naomi Ackie and Steven Yeun shine in limited roles, their characters serving as foils to Mickey’s existential crisis, though their arcs occasionally feel truncated. 

Narrative Ambition Meets Uneven Pacing 

The script thrives when exploring moral ambiguity—corporate greed vs. survival, individuality vs. collective good—but stumbles in its second act. A heist-like subplot introduces thrilling tension but overrelies on expository dialogue, slowing the film’s momentum. Bong’s signature tonal shifts (a grotesque clone disposal scene followed by dark comedy) won’t land for everyone, yet they underscore the absurdity of Mickey’s reality. The third act redeems these lulls with a visceral climax that questions the cost of rebellion, leaving audiences haunted by its imagery. 

Visual Poetry and Overstuffed Themes

The film’s stark cinematography—sterile whites contrasted with grimy industrial grays—mirrors Mickey’s internal duality. However, Bong’s ambition sometimes overwhelms: a subplot about indigenous ice-dwelling creatures feels underexplored, and the corporate antagonists verge on caricature, with hammy acting from Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette. These missteps don’t derail the narrative but highlight the challenge of balancing spectacle with introspection. 

The Video

Mickey 17 was shot on the Arri Alexa 65 and Arri Alexa Mini LF cameras with TLS Vega and Cooke S7/i lenses in the ARRIRAW 6.5K format. A 4K digital intermediate was utilized for mastering. The film is presented in a 1.85:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision enocodement. The HDR10 metadata shows a very modest, SDR level MaxLL of 258 nits and MaxFALL: 68 nits. The Dolby Vision grading does not add much more brightness or pop to what is artistically a very drab, grey, and dark palette, but the image looks good, clean, crisp, and detail is superb. The shadow details are highly extended, as one can see from the opening when Mickey falls into the cave. Snow looks bright and lights have enough brightness, but certainly don’t have that extra bit of pop in the highlight one usually expects from an HDR title.

The Audio

The Dolby Atmos mix for Mickey 17 is superbly done, though lacking some height awareness. The mix uses the base channels well to place sounds and some dialogue around the room and there is the occasional panning of music upwards. The low end thumps nicely especially in the final act.

The Supplements

There are a few featurettes included along with a digital code. There is no Blu-ray included with this release.

Bonus Features:

• Movies Anywhere Digital Code
• Behind the Lens: Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 (1080p; 00:11:35)
• Mickey 17: A World Reimagined (1080p; 00:09:47)
• The Faces of Niflheim (1080p; 00:08:03)
• Trailers (1080p; 00:04:44)
  • Trailer #1
  • Trailer #2

The Final Assessment

Mickey 17 isn’t a crowd-pleaser, but it’s a triumph for those willing to sit with its discomfort. Pattinson’s raw performance and Bong’s audacious direction make it a standout in the sci-fi canon, even if its pacing falters. The film lingers long after the credits, provoking questions about identity and resistance in an increasingly mechanized world. For fans of cerebral cinema, it’s essential viewing—a reminder that the most compelling stories are those that refuse easy answers. It isn’t Bong’s best, but it is another entertaining film from this consistent director and the 4K release is top notch despite its weak Dolby Vision/HDR grading.

Mickey 17 is out on 4K Ultra HD + Digital May 13, 2025 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

• Rating Certificate: R (for violent content, language throughout, sexual content and drug material.)
• Studios & Distributors: Warner Bros. | Plan B Entertainment | Offscreen | Kate Street Picture Company | Domain Entertainment | Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
• Director: Bong Joon Ho
• Written By: Bong Joon Ho | Edward Ashton
• Run Time: 137 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
• HDR10 Metadata:
  • MaxLL: 258 nits
  • MaxFALL: 68 nits
  • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
  • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
• Primary Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible)
• Secondary Audio: English DD 5.1 | English Descriptive Audio (US) DD 5.1 | English Descriptive Audio (UK) DD 5.1 | French DD 5.1 | Spanish DD 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH | French | Spanish | Danish | Finnish | Norwegian | Swedish
• Street Date: 13 May 2025