Did Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17 Foresee the Attempted Assassination of Trump?

      Spoiler Alert: The following text contains spoilers for Mickey 17 by Bong Joon-Ho, released today.

      In Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17, there is a scene where Mark Ruffalo’s character, reminiscent of Trump, is barely grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt.

      While this may seem like a direct reference to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in July 2024, Bong clarifies that it is not intended as such.

      “Everything in this film was filmed in 2022 in London, and that particular scene was scripted in 2021,” Bong states to MovieMaker. “The way we filmed it is precisely how it was in the script.”

      This type of eerie coincidence feels typical of a Bong Joon Ho film — or perhaps occurs in real life, where satire and reality often overlap more than we would like.

      This is just one of the many reasons why Mickey 17, Bong’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning film Parasite, has quickly become one of the most discussed films of the year.

      Mark Ruffalo as a Trump-like Televangelist

      Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette in Mickey 17. Warner Bros.

      Ruffalo portrays Kenneth Marshall, an exaggerated populist leader whose rhetoric is similar to that of Trump.

      In the film, Marshall's colonizing mission is driven more by self-promotion than by the need for survival. He is a failed American politician who reinvents himself as the leader of a space-colony mission to Nilfheim, a frozen planet that he claims offers humanity a second chance.

      However, Marshall is more than just a politician. He leads what effectively serves as a corporate church. He even hosts his own televangelist show, delivering sermons that combine religious zeal with corporate messaging. This duality makes him a disturbing yet ridiculous character: a man who exploits faith as a mechanism for control while profiting from the allegiance of his followers.

      Bong shares with MovieMaker that this concept stems from his observations of contemporary religious organizations.

      “If you look at religious groups today, many of them have side businesses to support their organization,” he explains. “They present a religious message, but fundamentally, they operate like corporations with lucrative ventures. That’s the nature of modern religious organizations.”

      Also Read: Death, Rebirth, Repeat: Bong Joon Ho and Robert Pattinson Start Fresh with Mickey 17

      Marshall perfectly exemplifies this duality. His sermons aim to instill loyalty and compliance among his supporters. His wife Ylfa, portrayed with cunning by Toni Collette, is equally involved, using her charm to influence those around her.

      “Ylfa is not a character in the novel. I was quite ambitious in creating her when adapting the novel into the screenplay,” Bong remarks. “I wanted to depict this dictator couple, a cult leader duo.”

      A Passionate Anthem

      One of the standout moments for Marshall occurs during a worship service, during which he conducts his televised audience in a song. The piece is an original creation by Jung Jae-il, Bong’s long-time collaborator who also composed the score for Parasite.

      Bong had a specific requirement for the song: it needed a “switch” halfway through, a moment where the tempo escalates and transforms into something euphoric.

      “I don’t attend church,” Bong comments, “but I’ve noticed in videos of worship services that there’s always a point in the middle of a song where the rhythm abruptly quickens and everyone starts clapping. The mood shifts, and everyone sings with abandon.”

      That moment of collective enthusiasm was something Bong sought to capture and critique in Mickey 17.

      The lyrics were co-written by Sharon Choi (Bong’s interpreter during Parasite‘s awards season) and Jung Jae-il. The song is both catchy and disquieting; it’s a hymn that appears uplifting at first glance but holds manipulative undertones when paired with Marshall’s performance.

      Bong Joon Ho and Mickey 17: Prophecy or Coincidence?

      And then there’s that assassination sequence.

      It might be easy to dismiss it as mere coincidence — an instance of art unwittingly mirroring life. Yet Bong has always been in tune with the zeitgeist, adept at capturing societal apprehensions with remarkable accuracy. In Parasite, he delved into class divisions that resonated worldwide. Now, with Mickey 17, he has seemingly tapped into something just as timely.

      Whether intended or not, this scene adds a layer of intrigue to an already intricate film. It compels viewers to confront unsettling questions regarding power and violence.

      For some, Marshall may feel like a satire; for others, he could resonate too closely with reality.