You may not have heard, but Barbie and Oppenheimer came out recently and there’s been some hype around it.
‘But why?’ I hear you ask and truth be told, I don’t really know, but what I do know is that the internet has gone crazy over these films.
Debate has raged over which film to see first: do you start off light and funny with Barbie and finish the day with the heavy content of Oppenheimer?
Or should we begin our day following the creator of a bomb that killed hundreds of thousands of people and enjoy an arvo of pink, glittery, lovable Margot Robbie?
One Twitter user ended the back and forth by making a schedule and I don’t know about you guys but I love me a schedule, so I decided to use one of my two days off a week to humour the internet and find out the reason behind the hype.
On Saturday, July 22, one day after the official release of both films, I followed the schedule to a tee, minus the cigarettes and drinking of course (hi dad), so I present to you my take on the Barbenheimer experience.
The day started out strong, watching the 10am showing of Oppenheimer, which for those who don’t know is a three-hour flick about J. Robert Oppenheimer, a scientist from World War II who worked on the top-secret Manhattan Project.
I walked into this movie feeling apprehensive.
I didn’t know if I was really going to care about some guy from almost 100 years ago who invented the horrifically violent atomic bomb.
Also, it goes for three hours.
I thought I wouldn’t make it out, but luckily I’m here to tell the tale.
I do it for the people.
I came out of the film pleasantly surprised.
I enjoyed a lot of the film and although I personally wouldn’t see it again, I’m glad I went to see it.
The acting was incredible and the director’s and writers’ ability to build suspense left me gripping my arm rest.
If you are as hesitant to see it as I was, give it a go, yes, it’s heavy, and yes, it’s long but I’m genuinely glad I went.
After a satisfying lunch of Zambreros, I waltzed into the 3.30pm showing of Barbie and prepared for the glitz and glamour of Barbie-land, but I’ve got a confession to make.
I have been overjoyed about the release of this film, I have even been dubbed the fangirl in the office due to my excitement, but I wanted to go into this with an open, unbiased mind.
My honest-to-god, unbiased thoughts are simple: It was the best film I’ve ever seen.
No exaggeration.
The cast was amazing, the plot was incredible, the costumes, set, soundtrack all absolutely perfect.
I sobbed for a solid 10 minutes towards the end and I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that.
I remember everyone talking about Ryan Gosling playing the iconic Ken and the main concerns were about his age and ability to play a young handsome himbo and I am happy to announce that he killed it.
But on a slightly more serious note, the film had a strong commentary on women’s experience in the modern world and they weren’t quiet, in fact there was an entire monologue about it.
It really struck a chord with me, I felt the frustration the characters did and could pin point times in my life where I felt pure rage about the unrealistic expectations I feel I should meet, all in a movie about a plastic doll.
All in all, I enjoyed a wonderful Saturday experiencing two brilliant films.
Despite the complete tonal shift, I think the Barbenheimer experience is one everyone who loves movies should do, even if it’s just to say you did it.