Robert Pattinson is having a moment. Fresh off his scene-stealing turn in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, the actor is gearing up for a jam-packed 2026 that includes a return to the big screen in just a few weeks. But while audiences wait for his next theatrical outing, many are rediscovering one of his most ambitious—and initially underappreciated—sci-fi efforts.
That film is Mickey 17, Bong Joon Ho's darkly comic space epic that hit theaters last year to strong reviews but lukewarm box office. Despite a reported $118 million budget, the movie managed only $133.3 million worldwide—a modest haul that left it far from blockbuster status. Yet now, in a classic streaming redemption arc, Mickey 17 has found its audience on Netflix, currently sitting at #10 on the platform's global Top 10 movies chart, just behind A Child of My Own.
The film stars Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, a down-on-his-luck guy who signs up to be an "Expendable" on a mission to colonize the icy planet Niflheim. Expendables are essentially disposable crew members tasked with the most dangerous jobs—and when they die, a new version is printed with most of their memories intact. But things go sideways when Mickey is presumed dead, survives, and returns to the ship to find a fresh copy of himself already in action. It's a premise that blends existential dread with Bong's signature tonal whiplash, and it's exactly the kind of weird, ambitious sci-fi that has earned a cult following over time.
Pattinson's career has always straddled the line between mainstream blockbusters and offbeat indies. From his breakout in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to the Twilight saga, and later acclaimed performances in Good Time and The Lighthouse, he's proven he can handle both spectacle and subtlety. His upcoming slate is no exception, with Primetime—an A24 crime thriller where he plays real-life To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen—hitting theaters on September 25. He's also set to appear in Dune: Part Three as Scytale, due December 18, 2026, and will reprise his role as Bruce Wayne in The Batman: Part II, slated for 2028.
For fans who missed Mickey 17 in theaters, the Netflix run is a perfect chance to catch up. And with the streaming platform constantly rotating its catalog, it's worth checking out sooner rather than later—especially if you're planning a marathon of Pattinson's work before his next big releases. If you're looking for more sci-fi to stream, you might also want to check out Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse's upcoming Netflix debut or say goodbye to the Rocky and Creed films leaving Netflix later this year.
As Mickey 17 climbs the charts, it's a reminder that sometimes a movie just needs the right platform to find its people. And for Pattinson, whose 2026 is shaping up to be one of his busiest yet, this streaming surge is a nice bonus to an already stellar year.
