Why Mickey 17 Is Robert Pattinson’s Best Performance To Date

Believe it or not, once upon a time, Robert Pattinson was not considered a top-notch actor. Sad but true! To be fair, there were a lot of mitigating factors surrounding this, chief among them the fact that he exploded onto the scene as the male lead in the “Twilight” saga, finding himself at the epicenter of that dubious pop-cultural phenomenon. Despite hordes of screaming young fans going wild for the English actor based on his beauty (and the wish fulfillment that his “Twilight” character, Edward Cullen, represented), the dismissal of Pattinson by snooty folks at the time (including, regrettably, my past self) helped teach us a valuable lesson later, one which we keep failing to learn: teen girls do tend to have good taste.

After all, almost immediately following his tenure in the “Twilight” films, Pattinson used his newfound clout to become a star to be reckoned with. He doubled down on a collaboration with the cerebral Canadian provocateur David Cronenberg, appearing in both “Cosmopolis” and “Maps to the Stars.” That double whammy signaled his interest in working with challenging, independent, arthouse filmmakers, and from there he went on to appear in movies by the likes of Brady Corbet, James Gray, the Safdie brothers, the Zellner brothers, Claire Denis, and Robert Eggers. Even when he chose to delve back into mainstream blockbuster material, it was with Christopher Nolan (for “Tenet”) and Matt Reeves, who gave him a whole new group of screaming fans by casting him as a new Bruce Wayne in “The Batman.” (As Pattinson observed bemused recentlythese fans are now predominantly male, but no less rabid.)

Throughout his screen career, Pattinson has proven his acting chops numerous times over, and that very much includes his work within the “Twilight” saga. Although he’s done fantastic work in a number of rightly well-regarded movies, it feels like he hasn’t yet achieved a signature role that would compete with or perhaps even surpass Edward in the public consciousness, even though Connie in “Good Time” and Winslow in “The Lighthouse” came close. However, with the release of Pattinson’s latest film, Bong Joon Ho’s “Mickey 17,” that achievement has arrived.

The actor’s performance in “Mickey 17” is absolutely superlative, and it’s highly likely that it will become the new benchmark for all his work that follows.

On paper, the role of Mickey Barnes in “Mickey 17” looks like a showcase for whichever actor ends up playing him. The film, based on the novel “Mickey7” by Edward Ashton, follows Mickey as he embarks on an interstellar voyage to a proposed new human settlement the only way he’s able to on short notice: by signing up to be an “Expendable,” someone who legally consents to be used as a human guinea pig to the point of death, whereupon he’s reprinted at his current age with all his memories intact. The majority of the film involves the complications that arise when Mickey 17, who is left for dead by his untrustworthy friend Timo (Steven Yeun), does not die, even though Timo informs the science team that he has expired. Thus, Mickey 17 makes it back to the ship, only to find his replacement, Mickey 18, having already been reprinted and assuming his life.

Obviously, the opportunities “Mickey 17” presents an actor are numerous. Not only is it a sci-fi story with a dual role, where the actor gets to play opposite themselves, but the film is also a clever satire, where Mickeys 17 and 18 represent everything from a righteous revolutionary to a film noir-esque patsy to a Job-like figure who carries the weight of humanity’s sins on his shoulders. There are a ton of layers to the part and so much attendant depth to the film, most actors could get lost in all the possibilities. Not Pattinson, though, who has demonstrated that he’s not the self-serious Method actor type, and nor is he an airheaded pretty boy. He’s a unique scamp all his ownand in most interviews about the filmhe’s discussed the various goofy approaches he had to the character.

Pattinson has name checked everything from “Jackass” to “Dumb and Dumber” to Steve Buscemi in “Fargo” in regards to his inspiration for his performance, all of which are brilliantly subversive, lowbrow choices for a movie which is suffused with political and social satire. Pattinson clearly understands and takes advantage of the opportunities the role gives him, and makes the most of it in every scene. Yet one never gets the sense that he’s trying to prove himself or sell the character too hard, which is evidence of an artist who inherently knows his skill and his worth.

Of course, a screen actor’s work is only as good as his director, and fortunately, Pattinson has chosen to work with yet another master in Bong Joon Ho. The fact that Pattinson continually chooses to work with proven filmmakers is further proof of how much he takes his craft seriously, as this demonstrates how aware he is that good material presented well only means he’ll look that much better in turn. In this respect, Director Bong rises to the occasion, giving Pattinson a bunch of big close-ups (in the IMAX format, no less) as well as allowing him to perform in several long, uninterrupted takes. There’s a mutual respect happening between director and star in “Mickey 17,” as Pattinson seems only too happy to let Director Bong film him in various states of unease or distress, with Mickey frequently being visibly sick, tortured, beat up, or flat-out dying throughout the film.

What’s most impressive is how Director Bong elicits a few heretofore unseen colors from Pattinson the actor in the movie. We’ve seen Pattinson be charming and attractive in numerous movies, we’ve seen him brood, we’ve seen him angry, and we’ve certainly seen him partake in some sexually kinky situations while in space before (thanks, “High Life”). Yet we’ve rarely seen him as pathetic as Mickey 17 is, and Pattinson shows no fear in making this character meek to the point of unlikeable. Perhaps Pattinson was emboldened to make that choice given that Mickey 18 is on the other end of the spectrum, his bitter, nihilistic anger at the world and his situation making him a little too strong by comparison. With the two Mickeys put together, you couldn’t have a better encapsulation of the wide range that Pattinson has as a leading performer.

Throughout cinema history, countless actors have found themselves typecast, either within a certain type of role or a certain type of film. This typecasting is usually a byproduct of the business of show business, of course, because just about any actor worth their salt can perform a variety of roles in a wide range of movies. Still, most stars tend to stay within their given places to continue making a living at what is, at best, an uncertain profession. Thus, it’s rare for a star to vacillate regularly between big blockbusters and little indie films. While most will dip their toes into the other on occasion, there really aren’t too many who balance the two.

With “Mickey 17,” Robert Pattinson seems to solidify his ability to do both, almost at once. This could be slightly detrimental, as the movie is being marketed as a big-budget sci-fi adventure (which, ostensibly, it is) even though the film itself is far deeper and stranger than today’s audiences have come to view science-fiction. While some people might indeed see “Mickey 17” and be too put off by its stranger digressions, others will be lured in by Pattinson’s winning charisma and character work, only to find themselves engaged by the movie’s depth and idiosyncrasies. Though of course the bulk of credit for “Mickey 17” and its triumphs goes to Bong Joon Ho, it must be said that Pattinson’s presence is a key boon for the film.

Indeed, Pattinson has laid the groundwork for not just his career itself but how it and he continue to be perceived. All those screaming teen fans during his “Twilight” years are now adultsand he’s rewarded their loyalty by continuing to push himself rather than rest on his laurels and popularity. “Mickey 17” is the culminating work of an actor who is in the profession for all the right reasons, and the only thing more exciting than what Pattinson does in the film is what he might do next.

“Mickey 17” is in theaters everywhere.