Film: Mickey 17

In a galaxy far away, they are creating humans. What could go wrong?

Things tend to go awry when advanced technology falls into the wrong hands - as we know all too well. The wrong hands in this case belong to the power-hungry former politician couple, Mark Ruffalo and one of my favourites, Toni Collette. Ruffalo is not merely playing a part but doing a chilling impersonation of a current world leader. This aspect of the film was more unsettling for me than the 3D printing of humans.

Set in the future, Mickey Barnes is on the run from criminals and enlists in the expendables programme (no, it’s not that film) on the ice planet Niflheim. He enters a room with an end-of-the-world vibe, filled with hundreds of others. Feeling that this is his only escape, and with little left to live for on Earth, he skips over the fine print stating that when he dies, in the name of research, he will be reprinted and his memories stored in a literal memory bank to be restored.

As an expendable, he can be accepted without any skills, unlike the scientists and other experts who will inhabit the planet with him.

Things go wrong when he is printed prematurely. After falling into their cave, he is rescued by some animals. Mickey fears another terrifying death, but the walrus/hampster-like animals have no use for him and push him back toward the humans. He survives the frigid cold and returns to his quarters, exhausted, only to find a new version of himself there.

Let’s return to the animals, who become the stars of the show. They want to save lives rather than destroy.

From the director who brought us the equally thought-provoking and strange Parasite, it's worth a watch.

7/10