In the Dark Reviews

With "Mickey 17," Bong Joon-ho seems to have ascended to his fully actualized Pokémon form as a filmmaker by synthesizing the pitch-black comedy, scathing social commentary and ambitious sci-fi concepts of 2006's "The Host," 2013's "Snowpiercer" and 2019's "Parasite."

Surprisingly for a film with such a dark premise, "Mickey 17" might be Bong's most humane and ultimately upbeat narrative, buoyed considerably by the amiably dumb shaggy-dog energy of Robert Pattinson as our title character, who's remarkably passive for a protagonist.

From "Snowpiercer" to "Parasite," Bong's class consciousness h...