I recently checked which movies I saw in theaters last year, and almost all of them were a sequel to an already existing popular film. This is a trend I do not like, and I am starting to get bored of seeing the same worlds all over again. I would really like to see something unique and new. I recently told one of my friends, who does not go to the movie theater that often, about these feelings, and he responded by saying that there are so many great stories that can be told because many great books are being written. I loved that response, and it was also a wonderful coincidence to find myself in the movie theater a couple of days later to watch Mickey 17, which is a movie based on a book. Mickey 17 is directed by South Korean director Bong Joon Ho, who has been quite successful, winning an Oscar for Parasite in 2020.
What I love about South Korean-style media is that it can have a unique story with a very dark undertone. Parasite and Mickey 17 are both excellent examples, but the very successful Netflix show Squid Game also fits that category extremely well. What these three also have in common is that the music is composed by Jung Jae-Il, who is able to translate these dark comedic elements into the score very well.
In the music for Mickey 17, which tells the story of Mickey, whose job is to die and be reprinted again the next day with all memories intact, you can hear a lot of melancholic melodies. Especially the waltzes, which you can listen to in “Bon Appetit,” “Nasha” and “Ulsan,” are great at emphasizing the weirdness of the events. Lots of these tracks are played by only a handful of instruments, sometimes just by a single instrument, like the piano in “Umma.” Hearing these cues in the film was a great addition to the scenes, adding this extra layer of absurdity. It also showcases that you often do not need many resources to create impressive music. What I love about this simplicity is how it contrasts with what I am hearing in the track “Mayhem” and through to the end of the album because, in that track, the London Symphony Orchestra starts to appear in full, together with the London Voices. You can hear their excellent play at the start and end of the track, with a wonderful klezmer-like piece in between. Other great orchestral examples are “Corridor of Love,” in which the orchestra joins in another excellent waltz, and “Set Off,” in which the brass is allowed to shine.
I enjoyed every minute of watching Mickey 17 in the movie theater. After all the sequels and nostalgic films I have seen in recent years, watching a non-mainstream movie was quite refreshing and the music definitely added to the vibe of this unique but dark story. I hope these successful Korean-influenced movies and TV shows will spark something in the movie industry. I would love to see more interesting new stories in theaters again, preferably accompanied by terrific scores like the one Jung Jae-Il wrote for Mickey 17. As my friend said, fantastic books are out there that can be used for inspiration.
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Tracklist
The highlights are in bold.
- Bon Appetit (2:31)
- Immigrant (2:41)
- Frog (1:38)
- Nasha (5:26)
- Vaccine (1:38)
- Multiple (2:29)
- Barnes (2:12)
- Calm Before the Storm (0:43)
- Umma (2:58)
- Ulsang (1:06)
- Attention (1:56)
- Arrival (1:58)
- Nasha Is Amazing I (1:01)
- Bon Appetit with Strings (1:07)
- Mayhem (3:47)
- Corridor of Love (3:13)
- Why Kill Luco? (1:41)
- Set Off (2:59)
- Chaos (3:54)
- Nasha Is Amazing II (3:16)
- Rejoice in the Lord (1:00)
Total length: 49 minutes
WaterTower Music (2025)
