Barbenheimer: Hamber Students Weigh in on This Summer’s Hottest Debate

Oct 27

Written By Olivia Gowans Hoar (10) & Chloe Mayor Moure (10)

As Barbie and Oppenheimer hit the big screens over the summer of 2023, on the same day, a passionate debate over the two movies sparked on the internet. Initially started as a joking comparison between two seemingly opposite movies, it became a serious point of discussion in the lead up to their release. The conversation surrounding the movies, nicknamed “Barbenheimer”, included various questions, including which movie to see first, which would become more successful, and overall, which movie would be superior. “Barbenheimer” quickly became the talk of the internet, boosting the profits for both movies.

While both movies were expected to prosper individually, some of their acheivements can be credited to counterprogramming. “These films would have been successful on their own terms had they opened on different weekends… [but] both movies also really enhanced each other because of that social media buzz over the last few months,” wrote CNN. By releasing two polar opposite films at once, a larger audience was attracted without having to split viewers between similar, coinciding films. The juxtaposition of the two movies played a key role in their marketing, elevating the anticipation from a regular premiere to a cultural phenomenon.

Barbie managed to unite viewers across the world by harnessing the nostalgia from their childhoods. People dressed in pink to the cinemas, rewatched the animated Barbie films, and connected with others over the many relatable moments from the movie.

“Everybody knew what it was. A lot of people came together over it,” Kelly Lau (12) shared. “I was working in an office over the summer, and the other people working there were all abuzz with it. By the end of the summer, everybody in the office had watched it and could talk about it together.”

“The movie stood out; it generated a lot of attention and press,” Ms. S. Lemmon (LLC) said about the Barbie movie. “I really enjoyed the variety of commentary it made on society and being a woman. It was absolutely well cast too. I think all the actors did a fantastic job.”

Ms. Lemmon shared her thoughts on the movie's possible long-term success as well. “I definitely think it could become a classic. It’s funny and creative, and resonated with a wide range of audiences in different ways,” she said. “It’s layered. It’s complex. When the movie ended, I was still thinking about the different messages made throughout the film.”

Contrarily, Mack Dickson (10) believes much of Barbie’s popularity can be credited to its online competition with Oppenheimer, and that it won’t be as successful in the future. “It’s been very heavily marketed, and its current popularity doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll go down as a classic,” he explained. “The movie itself has some very good elements to it, but I don’t think it was that amazing. What held it back for me was that I don’t think it was paced very well.”

Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan explained how the film left people “absolutely devastated,” providing them with a dynamic and captivating film. Greta Gibbon (11) watched both movies and said that she “liked Oppenheimer better, as I had more anticipation towards it.” She also shared that the movie included everything that she hoped for and admired in a film. “It was intense and thrilling. The music was incredible, which added to that,” she said.

Despite this, she believes that Barbie had more of a cultural impact. “I just don’t think younger generations could relate to Oppenheimer and analyze it the same way they could for Barbie,” she shared. She mentioned that she believes Barbie could possibly become a classic “as a household name,” due to its upbeat and fun nature with underlying messages. However, she thinks that “Oppenheimer has more potential to be critically acclaimed in the future.”

Additionally, Gibbon was highly impressed by Oppenheimer’s cast, as she thought the characters were more intricate and actors more specific to their roles. On the contrary, while she described Margot Robbie as amazing, she believed that the “[Barbie cast] wasn’t as specific; a lot of people could have played Barbie or Ken.”

Zachary Bichin (10) preferred Oppenheimer as well. “I think it was put together much better in aspects of cinematography, casting, and performance,” he explained. “I’m also Jewish, so I found myself relating to details of Oppenheimer.” Bichin also thinks Barbie was overrated in comparison to Oppenheimer, as he had “very high expectations walking in.” However, he believed “Barbie had more of a cultural impact,” later mentioning that it has more potential to become a classic due to its relevance and connection with a wider audience.