“Are you on your way to see Barbie?”
It’s late Friday afternoon at the Regal Union Square movie theater in Manhattan and Garrett, a father of two, is wearing a hot pink polo shirt. Nearby, his wife and young children are sporting similarly rosy outfits. Dad joke at the ready, he answers wryly: “We’re actually here to see Mission: Impossible.”
Audiences greeted Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer with a resounding “Hi, Barbie! Hi, J. Robert!” over the weekend, collecting a combined $244 million in the North America and earning the fourth-biggest box office weekend in history. Given their shared release date of June 21, Barbie and Oppenheimer had already formed a twin-flame phenomenon known as “Barbenheimer,” spurring many moviegoers to buy tickets in advance to see both films (each centered on a complicated icon of 20th-century American history) back-to-back on the same day. For the five-hour double feature of aesthetic opposites, they planned outfit changes accordingly.
At movie theaters across lower Manhattan, dual crowds embraced the communal experience: Like Taylor Swift’s ongoing Eras tour, this was a cultural event turned en-masse costume party. Friends, dressed in pink, welcomed one another with “Hi, Barbie!”, extending the salutation to fellow pink-wearing strangers. Though Barbie costumes far outnumbered Oppenheimer costumes, a dedicated few ventured out into the warm summer evening in somber-hued Oppie suits, ties, and flat-brimmed hats. Others wore custom T-shirts with gleefully uncanny designs, such as real-life physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s famous recollection from the Hindu sacred text the Bhagavad Gita, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” rendered in bubblegum-pink Barbie font.
A handful of staunch Oppenheimer goers scoffed at the pink fantasia greeting them in theater lobbies; staunch Barbie goers rebuffed the idea of electing to see a three-hour bummer of a movie. Some felt swayed by or swept up in the incidental meme marketing of it all. Others considered the implications of the weekend as the entertainment industry’s unionized actors and writers are striking. But all seemed thrilled at the general fervor of the event—of people being so excited to go to the movies. Instead of fission, there was camaraderie. As one passerby cheered: “New York is back! Cinema is back!”
Scroll on to survey the scene and meet the Barbenheimer moviegoers on opening day of Barbie and Oppenheimer in Manhattan.
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Shane, 40
What brings you to see Barbie today?
I’m coming with a group of friends. It seems super fun. My sister had a lot of Barbies, you know, the little car… I’m going for Western Ken today.How many people are you here with?
I think a group of 10 people, or something? [Barbie and Oppenheimer are] pretty much the only two movies that have convinced me to go to the movie theater in a while.Why is that, do you think? Is that mostly just because of…
They’re both kind of iconic American things.For sure. Barbies and bombs.
They are two things that kind of define America. And Manhattan is kind of where all that started—well, at least for the Manhattan Project. -
Ben, 16, and Lucky, 17
You saw Barbie earlier today. Any immediate thoughts?
Lucky: Oh, it’s amazing. I think he’s Ken enough.Ben: I think we are all Kenough.
Do you think J. Robert Oppenheimer was Ken enough?
Lucky: I think he’s more than enough, I’m not gonna lie.Ben: I’m going to say no, because I think someone who’s Kenough would do Kenything to help anyone. And J. Robert Oppenheimer did not help anyone, so he is not Kenough.
Lucky: I think he helped a few people, maybe two? He did a few positive things.
When did you learn about the real-life Oppenheimer?
Ben: I don’t know, a few weeks ago? My dad is a really big World War II buff.Did you have an outfit for Barbie as well?
Ben: No, I don’t have anything in pink.Lucky: I really need something in pink, though. If they make a second one, I’m dressing up as Ken. I’m going to have the mink suit and everything.
Ben: I definitely did plan this for Oppenheimer. This is the second time I’ve worn this suit.
What was the first time?
Ben: It was for a funeral. It’s the only reason I have this suit—funerals and Oppenheimer. -
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Simon, 23
You’re seeing both movies today, correct?
We are seeing—this is unconventional—Barbie and then Oppenheimer.Okay, so you’re kind of doing chaser-shot for this. What are you most excited about, for both movies?
Yes, exactly. I want to be able to focus on Oppenheimer, don’t want to have any cloudy thoughts if it was the other way around. I’m excited to see Greta Gerwig really lean into that amazing marketing budget they had. For Oppenheimer, I’m just really excited to see how Christopher Nolan surprises me this time.How long ago did you buy tickets?
Oh, man. Oppenheimer, almost as soon as they came out. We’ve been planning this for a couple of months.Do you have a plan in between the two movies?
Dinner and walk. Going to need to stretch those legs.
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Sarah, 28
What brought you to dress as “Pregnant Doctor Barbie” here at the Barbie screening?
Barbie can do anything, so her being pregnant and being a doctor elevates the can-do-anything to the next level. And I wanted people to see the belly, or else it wouldn’t be a gimmick.Are you also planning on seeing Oppenheimer?
No. Haven’t given it a thought.Sure. It seems stressful.
[Laughing] I’m a doctor, I’m pregnant, I’m an astronaut, and I’m Barbie. I don’t have time to watch frivolous movies.Do you think you’ll leave the [prosthetic] belly on during the movie?
Yeah. Motherhood’s a full-time job. -
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Lauren, 31, E.J., 34, and Sarah, 30
You’re about to see Oppenheimer. Do you also plan on seeing Barbie?
E.J.: I do want to see Barbie, but it’s not as imperative.Tell me more.
E.J.: Well, I really want to see Robert Downey Jr. playing Lewis [Strauss]. As a youth, I was obsessed with The Dark Knight, so I feel like this is going to be a little like that. I saw that five times in theater, so I feel like I’m going to be blown away by Oppenheimer. And I love the trinitite that happened at the test site—I’m obsessed with that right now, even before I knew that the movie was coming out. They turned the top layer of the desert into this kind of glass that has an unnatural molecular structure. So I think that’s cool. I hope that they do something with that.It does sound imperative that you see this. Will you also see Barbie in the coming days or weeks?
Lauren: Sarah’s power of persuasion is unmatched. She got us to do Oppenheimer first. I would love to see Barbie, but I’m gonna give it a week or two. Let the first one settle in.
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Luca, 22, Philip, 20, Natalie, 21, Harleigh, 20, and Ben, 21
You just came from seeing Barbie, you’re about to see Oppenheimer. How are the vibes?
Luca: I think the thing that feels really good is everybody is out on their own to do this. It’s not corporate, it’s not a set-up thing by the companies that are currently restricting [filmmakers]. We’re all film students.Natalie: It’s not just us. People are going back to the theaters finally. And that’s really exciting to see, because people who would normally wait for it to come out on streaming services are like, “Oh no, I want to go see it.” We’re not the only ones dressed in pink on the subway at 2 p.m.
Ben: We were just walking down the street and people are already yelling like, “Hi, Barbie! Hi, Ken!” You’re just trying to get down a block and people are just yelling at you, as you go. And the energy from it is… It’s been rare that you’ve felt something like this post-COVID. Everyone’s hype levels are through the roof for this weird amalgamation of poppy, fun movie and then dark, depressing, bomb-blowing-up-in-your-face movie.
Natalie: Which is life, you know?
Ben: It’s just life, you have the ups and downs. You have the bombs, you have the Barbies. We were buying ties in Nordstrom Rack to come here, because we needed the tie for Oppenheimer.
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Carson, 22, and River, 22
What brings you to Barbenheimer today?
River: Well, listen—I love any cultural moment that brings people back to the movie theater. I worked at a movie theater for three years, at Village East Cinema on 12th and 2nd. I wanted to be a part of it. Someone dear to me accused me of being a sheep, but I think that I’m taking initiative in being involved in a moment. Two great movies!You just got out of seeing Oppenheimer first. What did you think?
River: Oppenheimer was great, and Barbie I’m sure will be great. Although I felt a little guilty in the theater [for Oppenheimer being] dressed up sexy for Barbie.What’s the look for Barbie?
Carson: I have pink pants. He’s going to give me a crop top or something to wear. Oppenheimer’s all heavy and stuff, so we wanted to start with it. And Barbie’s fun and cute, so we’re going to get drinks and then go see that. -
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Diego, 30, Sam, 23, Ivan, 23, and Jason, 22
How much planning went into your Barbenheimer experience?
Sam: Spontaneous. It was last minute. We have a group chat.Diego: [Wearing this pink vest] is completely a happy accident. I wear this at work—I work in receiving, so I wear this as a safety vest. But I’m like, it works, so why not?
What are you excited about for both movies?
Diego: I kind of just got caught in the hype. At first I wasn’t interested in either movie, but I was on Instagram, social media, I’m like, you know what, why not? And I’ve seen they got good reviews. Why not go watch both?What about you?
Jason: I’m a feminist. -
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Tamaj, 28, and Bacchus, 27
So, you just got out of Barbie. What did you think?
Tamaj: It was a fantastic movie.Bacchus: It was so cute. Also, surprisingly sad because… feelings?
Tamaj: You could easily write many, many papers about the movie.
What paper would you write about Barbie?
Tamaj: One, it was very nice to see Ken understand at the end that, “Wow, I could be a whole person without a partner? That’s crazy.” Also, fuck, it’s really hard to be a woman. It’s really, really fucking hard to be a woman. Existing is really fucking incredibly difficult. It was far more philosophical than I ever thought the movie was going to be.Bacchus: Which is fun, because everybody sees Barbie and they’re just like, “Oh, this is really fucking stupid. It’s dumb. It’s for little girls.” And you’re just like, “Oh wait, little girls have to be everything and nothing at the same time, and really loud, but also really quiet, and you have to be smart, but not too smart.” It’s layers. It’s giving very much Shrek theory, which I love.
Hang on, Shrek theory? Tell me more.
Bacchus: The Shrek theory is basically just ogres are like onions. It means people have layers [but] nobody really sees that because they just want to summarize you in a nice little package in which you’re not a threat to them.So, on a not-unrelated note, you don’t think you’ll see Oppenheimer?
Tamaj: Oh no, I’m just gay, so I just wanted to see the Barbie movie. My favorite color is pink, so that’s the only reason I’m here.Bacchus: I’ve had enough death and destruction in real life. I’m actually really good. I just want to have fun and look at sparkly, pretty people. That was enough for me.
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Ryan, 27
What prompted you to come see Oppenheimer on opening day?
My roommates all have a movie night going, so this is part of our summer blockbuster theme. This is our last week, and I decided to do, last minute, a little Oppenheimer-themed costume.You’re the first Oppenheimer costume we’ve seen today.
I know. I walked here and was like, “Oh, there’s definitely going to be more Barbie.”What are you most looking forward to, for both movies?
The people I follow on Letterboxd and on Twitter, they’re really liking Oppenheimer. I saw one that said [it was Christopher Nolan’s] best since Memento. I’ll be the judge of that, but yeah, can’t go wrong. [And] Barbie, I’m excited. I was talking with my coworkers today and we’re excited to see this kind of hopeful comedy in the theaters. We haven’t seen a big, fun, summer comedy in a while that people have gotten this excited for. -
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Ian, 23, and Eren, 23
What brings you to Barbenheimer today?
Ian: I was too young when Dark Knight and Mamma Mia came out to fully understand the cultural significance of the cross-genre doubleheader. So I couldn’t miss this one. What better way than to put them back-to-back and put your body and your mind through the full emotional and mental rigor of the doubleheader? This is the peak of human existence.And so which are you watching first, Oppenheimer? Was there a logic behind that?
Ian: Oh, 100 percent.Eren: I would say that Barbie’s going to serve more as a palate cleanser after Oppenheimer. I feel like Oppenheimer is heavy, and going into Barbie first, I don’t know if I would fully appreciate the historical significance of Oppenheimer.
What’s the dinner move in between Oppenheimer and Barbie? What’s the sustenance?
Eren: [Laughs] Cava. Just fast-casual and the cheapest option.Ian: Yeah, fast-casual and maybe some loose White Claws. We had a dinner reservation at another place but we were like, “We already dropped the $50 on tickets. We’ll go fast-casual for dinner.”
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Malavika, 24
Having seen Barbie, how are you feeling going into Oppenheimer?
Honestly, it has to really work to compare. Barbie was fucking amazing.What made you want to see both on opening day?
I’m not going to lie—a lot of it was probably the hype about the whole Barbenheimer thing. I probably would’ve seen Oppenheimer but waited until it came out on [streaming]. But there’s just something about an absolute, blatant, distorted-reality, post-World War II [movie] and then immediately pink plastic Barbie.
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Kate, 31, and Oscar, 47
Oscar: We just saw Barbie, we’re going to do Oppenheimer [next], so we went from one genre, and the other one’s going to be history and we’re going to pretend to be academics, because Ken finally understood that he has the potential to be an academic.
Totally. So, Barbie—what are your immediate thoughts?
Kate: Loved it. Loved it.Oscar: I was extremely surprised. I thought it was going to be cheesy but the dialogue was well-written. It was theatrical. It was drama. It fucked with your emotions and sensibilities. The women came out strong. America Ferrera is a goddess and she nailed it.
How are you shifting gears to see Oppenheimer next?
Kate: We’re going to have a couple cocktails. We’re going to talk through Barbie, then we’re going to shift gears. We’re going to change outfits, too. We got to get in a whole new vibe.Tell me about these garments you’re wearing.
Oscar: [They were made by] my friend, she’s an artist. Her name is Jody Morlock. She’s an East Villager. She’s iconic. She paints clothing. She knew we were going to go see Barbie and she’s like, “Let me paint something up for you.” -
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Adie, 23
How did you plan today?
Well, I woke up and I knew I was just seeing Barbie, and then my roommates were like, “Do you want to see Oppenheimer at 9:30 after you see Barbie?” I was like, “Okay, I might as well. Let’s go.” So I came in a pink dress and a black sweater. A lot of people were like, “Watch Oppenheimer first and cleanse it with Barbie.” And I’m coming here doing the opposite.Immediate first thoughts on Barbie?
It was amazing. We were, like, bawling. I’m now attracted to Michael Cera all of a sudden… There’s just something about a man who’s just like, for the women. You’re like, “Oh my God, he’s so hot all of a sudden?” And I love how the whole cast of Sex Ed was in it.What do you think Alan would think of Oppenheimer?
I think Alan would probably sit there and then an hour in be like, “I want to go home.”