Margot Robbie inBarbie; Cillian Murphy inOppenheimer.Photo:Warner Bros. Pictures; Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures; Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
BarbieorOppenheimer—which did you see first?
The super-pink comedy and the explosive historical epic debuted in theaters this weekend,dominating the box office… and five hours in the lives of several PEOPLE staffers.
In the weeks leading up to the July 21 release date, the internet coined the term “Barbenheimer” to label a viral trend challenging fans to see both theGreta Gerwig–directedBarbieandChristopher Nolan’sOppenheimer.
Even the stars of the respective moviessaid they’d be in lineto check out the competition.Cillian Murphy, who headlines asOppenheimer’s title character, toldIGNhe personally “can’t wait” to seeBarbie.
Here, some dedicated PEOPLE movie fans who saw both on opening weekend — some back-to-back, others with some rest time in between — document their honest takes on the movies. And how they made it through the five-hour double feature (Barbieruns nearly two hours, whileOppenheimeris a full three).
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Tommy McArdle (far left) with friends.Tommy McArdle
Tommy McArdle
“Barbenheimer” was the first time I’ve taken in a movie theater double feature in a long time. The energy around AMC Lincoln Square in New York City was electric all day; a line out the door of the building’s IMAX theater at 2:30 p.m. gave way to a sold-outOppenheimerscreening that amazed me just as much as it did the first time I saw Christopher Nolan’s latest at a press screening the week before.
TheBarbiescreening at 8 p.m. was also entirely sold out. Whatever applause Nicole Kidman’s AMC ad received at the earlier screening turned into outright cheers from the audience. Both films are a delight and deserve attention from anyone with an interest in movies.
Carly Breit (left).Carly Breit
Carly Breit
For our Barbenheimer weekend in Brooklyn, my friends and I wore matching shirts emblazoned with Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy looking like they were about to save the world — and perhaps, more importantly, cinema?
We kicked off Saturday night withBarbieat Williamsburg Cinema. Groups of 10 to 20 friends (dressed in pink, of course) scattered in to take their seats just before showtime. For the next 114 minutes, howls of laughter — and a few unexpected but welcome sniffles — filled the theater. It was, in a word, sublime.
We were seated again post-coffee on Sunday morning forOppenheimer, this time at Nitehawk because a movie (sorry, afilm) clocking in at three hours simply requires food, which can be ordered from your seat and served throughout. I sipped theOppenheimer-themed “Manhattan Project” while mostly thinking about which of Greta Gerwig’s Barbies I was going to be for Halloween.
Benjamin VanHoose
Everyone got the unspoken memo to wear pink. The theater, a Regal in New York City’s Astoria on a Friday night, had the liveliness of a party, an energy I hadn’t detected in a theater for years. And the movie itself was a joy too, clever, creative and funny. Halfway through, as I took another sip from the Icee my friend and I spiked with rum, I thought to myself, “Whatcan’tBarbie do?”
After my giant smile wore off as the credits rolled, processing what I’d just seen, I didn’t think any movie could top it. But 12 hours later, seated forOppenheimer, I was open to proving that scientific theory wrong.
This time we were at the other major theater chain (where Nicole Kidman goesfor her heartbreak to feel good) and on the Upper East Side, a dose of caffeine in my system. I scrapped my figurative pink-colored lenses and put on my literal prescription glasses — time for Historian Barbie to absorb some cinema.
While I appreciatedOppenheimer, I feltBarbiegave me more bang for my buck, with an hour less screen time to boot. While there’s a near zero chance I’ll ever watchOppyagain, I’m still glad I saw it — and I’m sure the person I heard snoring behind me was glad to get a nap beforeBarbietime.
Jen Juneau
I have been looking forward to both of these movies all year — maybe the most of any theater experience since before the COVID pandemic — and it did not disappoint.
First up for me wasOppenheimer, for two reasons: 1. My husband and I could take a day off and go see a three-hour movie on a Friday without worrying about getting a sitter since our toddler would be in daycare, and 2. I wanted to save the movie I was more organically excited for,Barbie, for last. (Sorry, Chris Nolan.)
My primary excitement overOppenheimerwas the cast, but mostly Cillian Murphy, whose career I have followed for the better part of the last 20 years but who has never really gotten that huge starring role in a feature film that his talent is deserving of. This wasthemoment for him and he took it, and I’m so happy more people are going to know his name and what he can do.
And it was so worth it. First, I donned my Barbie best, blonde wig and all.
Eight of my closest pals and I went to a Barbie-themed tea atThe Tea Room Experience, which is my favorite tea room in Orlando. And they went ALL OUT, with the Barbie box photo op, perfectly themed table settings, themed teas and desserts and more.
Jen Juneau’sBarbietea experience.Jen Juneau
There was even a “Barbie” who asked all of us which kinds of Barbies we were (I answered, “Bunion Barbie but, on rare days like today that I venture downtown, Can’t Parallel Park Barbie”). When I told her I loved her dress, she said, “Thanks, it’s sold separately!” She was givingMargot Robbiea run for her money, I gotta say.
We were also greeted with pink mimosas right when we walked in, and all the guests were dressed in their Barbie best. Worth every penny.
The theater experience itself wasn’t great, if I’m being honest. We went to a Cinemark, which was sold out of theirBarbiemerch before the movie was even released, and they weren’t making the specialty drink (both the merch and drink were advertised on their Instagram), butthe tea room made up for itand the movie went above and beyond my wildest expectations.
Anyone who has ever questioned their place in the world will get something out ofBarbie, and the visuals alone make it a must-see in theaters. I also didn’t expect to cry and I definitely did. All in all, an 11 out of 10 Barbenheimer experience!
Maggie Kreienberg (third from left) with friends.Maggie Kreienberg
Maggie Kreienberg
“It’s packed. I loved it,” I texted my friend who was meeting me forOppenheimerthat night. We eventually took our seats four rows up from the screen and buckled up for the three-hour film. Before I knew it, the credits were rolling and the crowd was clapping, everyone aware that we just witnessed a masterpiece. “I want to watch it again,” my friend turned to me and said as I nodded in agreement.
Personally, I couldn’t stop smiling from the moment Margot Robbie woke up in Barbie Land and I left reminiscing on my own childhood memories playing with the toy. The weekend also induced a bit of movie theater nostalgia in me and made me want to watch more films at the cinema again.
Corin Cesaric
Truth be told, I was more into playing with Bratz dolls growing up. But now, after seeing Greta Gerwig’sBarbiein theaters late Friday night, I’m happy to say I am a Barbie Girl through and through. Something about being in a sold-out theater filled with pink outfits, feather boas, cowgirl boots and polaroid cameras made it feel like for a brief moment I was in a Barbie Land too.
Suffice to say, IlovedBarbie and Margot Robbie’s, America Ferrera’s and the entire cast’s performances. I went into the movie completely unsure what the plot would be, and it exceeded my expectations. I saw it in downtown Brooklyn with my friend and fellow Gerwig-appreciator Jess at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (yes, they have a theater too!) and tried my hardest to dress on theme.
The next day, at 5:30 p.m. I made my way to Nitehawk Cinema to watchOppenheimeron a 35 mm screen. I’ve loved Cillian Murphy since the beginning ofPeaky Blinders, and similarly to Robbie, he knocked his performance out of the park.
History buff or not, the biopic was full of interesting plot lines, characters and performances. Plus, I love a subtle twist at the end of any movie.
BarbieandOppenheimerhad the same premiere date, but there wasn’t much else in common with the two smash hits, and the radical differences between the films is what made them so fun to see back to back.
From left: Henry Chandonnet, Averi Kremposky and Kaitlyn Huamani.Averi Kremposky
Averi Kremposky
After five exhausting hours staring at my local AMC screen, the accompanying double outfit change and way too much movie theater popcorn, I can’t help but picture Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan planning this day with the utmost intention.
Undoubtedly, seeingOppenheimerin the morning andBarbiethe same afternoon was a type of aesthetic whiplash a person is only meant to experience once in their lifetime, but when I look back on my Barbenheimer experience, it’s all just melancholy dressed in different colors.
To see justOppenheimer,clad in black and full of espresso, is to wrestle with the consequence of being too successful. To see justBarbie,romping around in pink right after a few glasses of wine at the nearest happy hour, is to come to terms with how it feels to be utterly unsuccessful.
Success is a spectrum with consequences on either side — to see both movies on the same day is to pick which one will be your poison.
Kaitlyn Huamani and Henry Chandonnet.Henry Chandonnet
Henry Chandonnet
After brunching at a French bistro and changing into our pink looks, we braved something scarier than Christopher Nolan’s three-hour runtime: Midtown. Armed with my fluffy pink cowboy hat, I voyaged up to 34th Street to lay eyes on Greta Gerwig’s masterpiece.
Kaitlyn Huamani and Averi Kremposky.Averi Kremposky
After braving the long trek to Manhattan via New Jersey Transit, I made it to the East Village AMC to meet my fellow PEOPLE interns at an unreasonably early hour to make the most of our eventful day.
We kicked things off with the 10:15 showing ofOppenheimer, which, to my surprise, was packed. It seemed to drag a bit through its three hours, despite its artful style and brilliant performances, and the only thing louder than the anxiety-inducing score was the growling of my empty stomach.
After a lunch/debrief and a quick wardrobe change, we got fun (read: overpriced) cocktails and made a pitstop at a bodega for snacks before we journeyed to Midtown for the pure joy that wasBarbie. I couldn’t stop smiling (and neither could the other pink-clad moviegoers) through the film’s witty quips and its beautiful heart that’s at the core of every Greta Gerwig masterpiece.
source: people.com
