‘Barbie’ And ‘Oppenheimer’: The Summer’s Ultimate Double Feature

Barbie, Oppenheimer. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal Pictures.

For the film world, few dates are as important each year as those of film festivals and the Oscars, but this year, a new date is added to the list: July 21, the day of Barbieheimer.

To provide some important context, Barbieheimer refers to the title of two films releasing on the 21st — Barbie and Oppenheimer. Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women), asks the question, “What if the dolls we played with came to life?” The film, filled with an A-list cast, appears to tackle much more than just comedy, as Gerwig’s previous films did.

The other big release, Oppenheimer, is the 12th feature film from auteur Christopher Nolan and tells the story of the creation of the atomic bomb primarily from the perspective of J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy, a frequent Nolan contributor, now in his first leading role) as historical events — that we all know by now — unfold on-screen.

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Barbie

Emma Mackey (left), Simu Liu, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, & Kingsley Ben-Adir in Barbie. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

When it comes to exactly who the Barbie movie is for, the line starts to blur. It’s a film written and directed by Greta Gerwig, a filmmaker who’s not only loved by audiences but has also received critical acclaim for both of her previous works. It’s extremely likely that Gerwig’s attachment alone is enough to get moviegoers to head to Barbieland in July, but it also helps when you have just about one of everyone’s favorite actors in the movie.

Margot Robbie, Emma Mackey, Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, Ritu Arya, Dua Lipa, and Nicola Coughlan, and those are just some of the Barbies. When it comes to the Kens, there’s (he’s literally me) Ryan Gosling, Ncuti Gatwa, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Scott Evans, and John Cena as members of the plastic ensemble, not to mention Michael Cera (he’s not Ken — just Allan). This star power may give Barbie an upper hand in the “rivalry,” though Oppenheimer has a stacked cast in its own right.

In Barbie’s story, it appears that there’s much more going on than just dolls living it up in Barbieland, and we know that the plot will take Barbie (Robbie) and Ken (Gosling) to the Real World, where they’re set to encounter the Mattel CEO (Will Ferrell), as well as somehow crossing paths with Gloria (America Ferrera) and Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt). It seems that there’s a clear, distinct self-aware nature to Barbie that, aside from creating laughs, will serve as means for commentary on our society, using these characters to make it “palatable” for those who may not want to get it when seen as is.

Barbie arrives in theaters on July 21.

Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer. Courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Christopher Nolan is often asked about the use of practical effects in his films, with people comparing the build-up of the stunts, from flipping an 18-wheeler in The Dark Knight to crashing a plane in Tenet. Nothing could go bigger in scale, right? Wrong. In his latest, Nolan not only tells the story of the creation of a bomb but literally blows one up, too. There’s no doubt that people are excited for Oppenheimer (well, maybe Tom Cruise isn’t), with many premium-format screenings for the film’s opening weekend being close to sold out.

The film boasts an impressive cast of actors like Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Bennie Safdie, Rami Malek, Josh Peck, Jack Quaid, and David Dastmalchian, all portraying real people from history. The film is adapted from the novel American Prometheus, with a screenplay written by Nolan, who also pushed for premium and large formats for his film and won.

Oppenheimer will screen in many different ways and aspect ratios, including 35mm, 70mm, IMAX 70mm, IMAX Dual-Laser, standard IMAX, and Dolby Atmos, with a groundbreaking use of the IMAX 70mm film, shooting parts of the film in black and white film, specially made for the film. If you see it in any format that features an aspect ratio greater than 2.35:1 or 2.20:1, the picture will vary between the 70mm or scope ratios and an IMAX projection, which may be a ratio of 1.90:1 or 1.43:1 depending on what screen you watch the film on.

Oppenheimer arrives in theaters on July 21.

Which Should You See?

To answer the question of which film you should see, the obvious answer is both. Go to the theater, appreciate the craft, and have a good time. That’s the answer. We’d recommend screening Oppenheimer first in your double-feature, as lucky viewers who’ve already seen the film have noted that they “[Left] the movie absolutely devastated. They can't speak.” It may be wise to end your day on a more uplifting note with Barbie, though she may be thinking about death nonetheless.