Although they’re two films that couldn’t be more different on paper, Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s candy-coloured comedy Barbie have somehow ended up going hand in hand in film fans’ eyes.
Depending on who you ask, the movies have been both pitted against each other by cinephiles in the last week, while others have put them side by side as the most unlikely of double features, in what’s been dubbed the “Barbenheimer” effect.
Still, five hours sitting in a dark cinema screen at the height of summer isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time, so if you’re torn between which of them to see first (or at all), we might be able to help you out…
First of all, what are Oppenheimer and Barbie actually both about?
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer tells the life story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist responsible for developing the world’s first nuclear weapons and who eventually became known as the “father of the atomic bomb”.
In August 1945, one of the bombs that Oppenheimer helped create was dropped in Hiroshima, Japan, and another was detonated in Nagasaki two days later, altering not just the course of World War II, but world history.
Months later, Oppenheimer admitted to then-president Truman that he felt he had “blood on my hands” over the devastation the weapons he designed had caused, and eventually spoke publicly about the dangers of nuclear warfare.
Barbie
On a much, much lighter note, the Barbie movie centres around one incarnation of the iconic titular doll, who lives in Barbie Land with her Barbie pals (and, obviously, a few Kens, for good measure).
While her life is seemingly “perfect”, things quickly begin to unravel for her when she finds herself in the centre of an existential crisis, with her daily routine becoming difficult and thoughts of impending death unable to shake.
To try and make things right, she heads off into the “Real World” to seek out whoever has been playing her, which has unexpected results on herself, Barbie World at large and, indeed, her boyfriend.
Who stars in Oppenheimer and Barbie?
Oppenheimer
Both films boast seriously impressive casts, with Cillian Murphy leading Oppenheimer in the title role. He’s joined by the likes of Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer’s wife Kitty and Florence Pugh as physicist Jean Tatlock.
Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr and Casey Affleck star as key military figures, with Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Josh Hartnett also in the cast.
You can also look out for appearances from the likes of Gary Oldman, Solo’s Alden Ehrenreich and Benny Safdie, previously seen in Licorice Pizza.
Barbie
Barbie is equally star-studded, led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the film’s principal Barbie and Ken.
Other Barbie variations are played by the likes of Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Sharon Rooney, Dua Lipa, Sex Education star Emma Mackey and Kate McKinnon, with Simu Liu and future Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa as other Kens.
Outside of Barbie Land, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell and Rhea Perlman all play key roles, and there are a fair few surprise cameos to watch out for, too.
And what about the Oppenheimer and Barbie soundtracks?
Oppenheimer
Anyone who’s already a fan of Christopher Nolan’s work will be aware that the scores are a pivotal part of what make his films so epic.
This time around, he’s reunited with Ludwig Göransson, with whom he previously worked on his previous offering, Tenet.
Ludwig’s already an Oscar winner thanks to his work on the score for Marvel’s Black Panther, and other films he’s contributed to include Creed and Pixar’s Turning Red, as well as the Star Wars TV spin-offs The Mandalorian and The Book Of Boba Fett.
The Swedish musician’s credits don’t end there, though. He’s also Grammy-nominated producer, who’s worked with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Rihanna, as well as collaborating with Childish Gambino on his seminal hit This Is America.
Barbie
Music super-producer Mark Ronson was responsible for curating the Barbie soundtrack, which boasts appearances from artists like Lizzo, Charli XCX, Ice Spice, Sam Smith and Dua Lipa, who also stars in the film (her track Dance The Night is heard over Barbie’s infamous “do you guys ever think about dying?” dance sequence).
Meanwhile, Billie Eilish is gunning for Oscar number two with her heart-wrenching ballad What Was I Made For, which plays at a pivotal moment in the film, as well as over the credits.
It’s worth mentioning that Barbie also sees director Greta Gerwig reuniting with previous collaborator Alexandre Desplat on the film’s score.
The French composer is a two-time Oscar winner, whose big screen work includes juggernauts like The Queen, Argo, Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle Of Dogs and The French Dispatch, The King’s Speech, Argo and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.
What have the reviews for Oppenheimer and Barbie been like?
Oppenheimer
Both films have received glowing reviews from critics, but it has to be said that Oppenheimer does have the edge.
It has a near-perfect score on the film review sites Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes (at 90 and 92 out of 100, respectively), with critics having already described the film as “breathtaking”, “astonishing” and “a towering achievement”.
Barbie
To be clear, just because it’s lower down the reviews sites than Oppenheimer, critics were still largely won over by Barbie, with scores of 81 on Metacritic and 89 on Rotten Tomatoes.
Reviews for Barbie have referred to Greta Gerwig’s latest as “ambitious”, “painfully funny” and “immaculately crafted”, with particular praise (and even early Oscar buzz!) for Margot and Ryan as Barbie and Ken.
For what it’s worth, the film-based social media site Letterboxd had Barbie ahead as the preferred film, with a score of 4.2 stars compared to Oppenehimer’s 4.1, based on users’ early reviews – although we’d expect to see that change now both films are actually out.
This is the question we’ve been dreading, but what are the runtimes for Oppenheimer and Barbie?
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan isn’t known for restraint when it comes to his films running time, and Oppenheimer is no exception.
The film clocks in at three hours exactly, so while its heavy subject matter means it’s not exactly a “popcorn movie”, we’d definitely suggest making sure you have a snack and something to drink before you head into the cinema.
Barbie
Greta’s film is a much-more-manageable one hour and 54 minutes, meaning if you’re planning on doing the much-discussed “Barbenheimer” double feature, you’ll need to set just under five hours of your time aside.
What have the stars of each film said about the other?
Oppenheimer
Cillian Murphy has played down the supposed big-screen rivalry, previously telling IGN: “I think it’s great. I mean, I’ll be going to see Barbie, one hundred percent. I can’t wait to see it.
“I think it’s just great for the industry and for audiences that we have two amazing films by amazing filmmakers coming out the same day. You could spend a whole day in the cinema, what’s better than that?”
Director Christopher Nolan agreed: “Those who care about the theatrical experience, we’ve been longing for a crowded marketplace with a lot of different movies – that’s what theatres have now and those of us who care about movies are thrilled about that.”
Florence Pugh also joked that the pink hair she was seen sporting at an Oppenheimer press call was a show of solidarity with Greta Gerwig, with whom she previously worked on the 2019 film Little Women.
During an interview with Heart, Emily Blunt urged “Queen Barbie” to “go crush”, while Matt Damon joked: “And Greta Gerwig, give us a job.”
“There’s no beef whatsoever,” Florence then insisted during the same interview.
Barbie
Greta Gerwig has been just as encouraging as the Oppenheimer cast and crew, urging cinephiles to “double up” and see each film twice in different orders to “see what the experience is” and “take all of the journeys”.
“It’s all love,” she insisted.
Margot Robbie was also seen excitedly signing a “Barbenheimer” t-shirt at an early Barbie event.
Alright, but… which film should I pick?
Isn’t it obvious? See ’em both!
OK, fine. But if I do want to watch both, what order should I do them in?
Well, that’s up to you, but a key factor to consider is the impact of the ending of Oppenheimer.
Given that it’s based on true events, it’s hopefully not too much of a spoiler to say that the film deals with not just the creation of the atomic bomb, but also the devastation that it caused during World War II, which Oppenheimer himself expressed discomfort with in his lifetime.
Christopher Nolan also teased that his film ended on a “complicated” note, comparing it to his previous offering Inception, so we’d say it’s up to you whether you’d rather treat Barbie as a chaser or palate cleanser after the heavy duty action of Oppenheimer, or whether following that with Barbie might feel a little too jarring.
Where can I watch the trailers for Oppenheimer and Barbie?
Right here:
Oppenheimer and Barbie are both in cinemas now.