Barbenheimer

Now I am become cinephile, the watcher of movies.

It’s been officially about a month since Barbie and Oppenheimer hit the big screen. What started as an internet joke of “that’s funny, a movie about existential crisis that’s sure to make us look deep inside ourselves and a movie about the guy who made the atomic bomb come out on the same day” turned into an absolute phenomenon that held every movie lover by the throat. Just like waiting for a bomb to go off, everyone waited in suspense. Would they be good? Which would be better? Which would do better? Do I have Kenergy? Well, now that time has passed, we can finally make a blog post on the Barbenheimer craze. If you have not seen the movies, that’s ok, this is a spoiler free blog.

CREDIT: Hannah Beier | The Washington Post | Getty Images & Chris Pizzello/AP Photo

CREDIT: Universal & Warner Bros

First off, movies are back baby! Due to Covid-19, there was a scare that theaters would be gone. Kapoot. Dead. Deceased. No Longer. 2021 had somewhat of a hopeful comeback, but still, moviegoers and movie lovers were scared that streaming was going to kill the sacred place we love to get lost in a story and buttered popcorn. In 2022, hope started to shine with movies like Top Gun Maverick and Everything Everywhere All At Once demolishing the box office, but nothing came as strong and heavy as Barbie and Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer made $82 million during its debut, and Barbie made an incredible $162 million opening weekend, making it the biggest movie of the year. If anything, this ends the debate on if people prefer streaming. There’s still an audience that very much wants the big screen, but if anything, this shows people are getting burned out by Superhero movies. Yes, Barbie is an IP, and yes, Oppenheimer is obviously based on a real person, but the way these stories are told is fresh and the way they were marketed mimicked movies of yesteryear when studios actually pushed a big movie.

Speaking of big movies, let’s talk about Barbie. Because this Barbie is a record-setter. Not only is it the biggest opening for 2023, it’s the biggest opening and highest-grossing film for a female director ever. Which isn’t bad for a movie that made a bunch of soft men who try to act tough on the internet really upset. Barbie has it all. You want dance numbers? Barbie’s got it. You want to laugh? Barbie’s got it. You want your heart of stone to melt? Barbie’s got it. So if you’re wondering how a movie about a doll became one of the biggest movies of the year, it’s because at its core, it’s a fun and entertaining movie that reminds you that you are enough. Whether you’re a mom who feels like she’s lost her identity due to being a mom or you’re a big, bearded guy who feels like they’re born for second place, this movie touches your heart and then it makes you laugh.

CREDIT: Warner Bros.

CREDIT: Warner Bros

Now let’s get into Oppenheimer. If you’re confused about how a movie about a doll was so big, you’re probably definitely confused about how a movie about the guy who made the atomic bomb made so much money. And to answer that question, we have to look at the director Christopher Nolan. Love him or hate him, agree or disagree, Christopher Nolan is one of the biggest working directors right now and will go down as one of the most influential directors of all time. People who aren’t even big moviegoers know the name Christopher Nolan, and Oppenheimer is the work of a man who has been building towards this moment. It has everything people expect in a Nolan film (playing with story structure, booming sound design, an incredible score, etc) but lifted to another level. Where it’s not my favorite movie by him (that’s reserved for his vastly underappreciated and rarely talked about Prestige), it is his most pertinent and his most relevant. Oppenheimer is a Pandora’s box story that in many ways is a scary realization as to what has led the world to where we are today.

In conclusion, Barbie and Oppenheimer started out as an internet joke and a craze and it ended as a reminder of two things. That people still love the movies and that a good story goes a long way.

For The Love Of Movies,

Jonathan Austin