Episode 20: Mickey 17, Race, and the Politics of Auteurship

This week, Daniel and Gavin dissect Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17, using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital to examine who gets to be seen as an “auteur” in the public imagination — and who doesn’t. We explore how race, class, and symbolic capital shape legitimacy in the film world, questioning why specific creators are celebrated as geniuses while others are sidelined, regardless of the quality of their work.

Through Bourdieu’s lens, we look at the cinematic “field” as a battleground, where recognition isn’t just about talent — it’s about access to networks, education, prestige, and whiteness as an unspoken default. Mickey 17 becomes a springboard for unpacking how cultural power is produced and maintained in the West and how directors like Bong Joon Ho disrupt those norms — even while subtly reabsorbed into them.

🎬 Mickey 17 (2025) – Film Details

Director & Writer: Bong Joon Ho

Based on: Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Cast:

Robert Pattinson

Naomi Ackie

Mark Ruffalo

Toni Collette

Steven Yeun

(Full cast list available above or on IMDb)

Production Companies: Warner Bros. Pictures, Plan B Entertainment

Runtime: 137 minutes

Budget: $118 million

Box Office Gross: $127.3 million

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