Mickey 17 is one of the newest movies to hit the screen, directed by Oscar winner Bong Joon-ho, the movie has already earned solid praise from critics and is getting a lot of buzz – especially around Robert Pattinson’s performance. The story follows Mickey Barnes (Pattinson), a “disposable” crew member on a human mission to colonize the planet Niflheim. His job involves taking on dangerous tasks, knowing that if he dies, his consciousness will just be transferred to a new cloned body. But after being presumed dead (but not actually), a new version of Mickey is activated, creating an awkward situation when the original Mickey unexpectedly returns and faces off with his own duplicate, and triggering a whole chain of events.
With a mix of dark comedy and sci-fi, Mickey 17 dives into the theme of cloning – a topic that’s been explored in many films in different ways and angles. Some focus on the ethics and moral dilemmas, while others take it into more intense, mind-bending narratives that mess with the viewer’s head. If Mickey 17 has got you thinking about stories involving identity, consciousness, and the limits of human existence, here are some movies that can expand on that experience.
Moon
Some people will definitely think of Moon (2009) after watching Mickey 17. Directed by Duncan Jones, the film follows Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), a solitary employee who’s nearing the end of his three-year contract on a lunar base, where he works to extract helium-3, a crucial resource for Earth. His only companion is an AI that helps with daily tasks; however, just as his isolation nears its end, Sam starts hallucinating and uncovers a secret about his identity that makes him question the very nature of his existence.
Cloning, identity, and what it really means to be human are the key themes explored in both Moon and Mickey 17, though each handles them differently. While Mickey 17 dives into the ethical dilemmas with more action-driven elements, Moon takes a more introspective approach, focusing on isolation and self-discovery. However, both films challenge the idea of who we are when we face questions about our true selves.
Moon is available to stream on Apple TV+.
Blade Runner 2049
Blade Runner is a movie classic with a spinoff on the way, but Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 (2017) is a must-watch for sci-fi fans of the new generation. Picking up where the 1980s film left off, the story is set in a dystopian future where replicants – bioengineered beings – live alongside humans. K (Ryan Gosling), a replicant and blade runner, is tasked with “retiring” older models of these beings. During one of his missions, he uncovers a secret that could shake society to its core, setting him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who’s been missing for decades.
Compared to Mickey 17, it’s definitely a film where you’ll be exploring questions about identity and what it means to be human – especially in a world where the line between organic and artificial is super thin. On the flip side, Blade Runner 2049 has a much more serious tone, and while it doesn’t focus directly on cloning, it goes deep into the idea of the autonomy of artificially created beings.
Blade Runner 2049 is available to stream on Netflix.
[RELATED: New Mickey 17 Trailer Highlights Robert Pattinson in the Sci-Fi “Masterpiece”]
Ex Machina
Well-known among science fiction productions, Ex Machina (2015) is a movie directed by Alex Garland. The story follows Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer who wins the chance to spend a week at the isolated home of Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), CEO of a tech giant. There, Caleb is asked to conduct a test on Ava (Alicia Vikander), an advanced android, to check her for actual consciousness. As their interactions go on, Caleb starts questioning Ava’s true nature and Nathan’s real intentions.
Mickey 17 is all about cloning, but it still has some comparisons to artificial intelligence and free will. Ex Machina dives into creating AI and questions the consciousness of non-human beings, asking how far an entity can be considered real or independent.
Ex Machina is available to stream on Max.
The 6th Day
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode, The 6th Day (2000) is about cloning, but in a slightly more worrying way, since its protagonist only finds out he’s been cloned, later. The plot takes place in the near future, where animal cloning is common, but human cloning is illegal. Adam Gibson (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a helicopter pilot, learns that he has been replicated without his consent and that his identity has been taken over by the duplicate. Pursued by a corporation trying to cover up the mistake, he then fights to get his life back and expose the truth about the illegal process.
Unlike Mickey 17, though, The 6th Day takes a more direct and intense approach to the implications of cloning, with a narrative that’s much more adventurous and action-packed. The film presents a more straightforward and distressing identity crisis, so the search for purpose and the affirmation of identity becomes an even more central theme.
The 6th Day is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
The Island
Focusing outside of space, The Island (2005) is directed by Michael Bay and set in a dystopian future. The plot shows the inhabitants of an isolated compound who believe they’re the only survivors of a global catastrophe, waiting for the chance to be sent to “The Island” – supposedly the only uncontaminated place on the planet. However, Lincoln Six-Echo (Ewan McGregor) and Jordan Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson) eventually discover that they’re clones created to provide replacement organs and services for their wealthy human counterparts. When they realize the truth, they decide to escape in search of freedom.
Not unlike the cloning objective in Mickey 17, The Island also explores the ethics of cloning for the benefit of others. The focus here is really on dealing with cloning and how it can affect any existential being. There’s a strong struggle for autonomy, and much like Bong Joon-ho’s film, it’s a mix of sci-fi and action. For those who want to dive into this theme without too much drama and introspection, this is a great pick.
The Island is available to stream on Apple TV+.
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