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Whoreallyis the Barbenheimer winner?
July 21 of 2023 will forever be known as “Barbenheimer Day.” A day which pitted two films of drastically varying tones and styles against one another at the box-office. Greta Gerwig’sBarbieand Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimerreleasing on the same day following months of anticipation became a cultural phenomenon so significant that it has its own Wikipedia page, and there’s even a non-fiction film in the works detailing the frenzy it created. The release weekend was treated like a heavy-weight boxing match, with audiences placing bets on which film would take the win.
It was the type of cinematic event that had never happened before, and certainly not since the pandemic. The films were seen as polar-opposites.Oppenheimerwas a deep examination into the troubled life of a man who had essentially been responsible for countless lost lives during wartime.Barbiewas a vibrant and comedic take on the world’s most popular doll. Ironically, whileBarbie’splot revolves around breaking down gender-stereotypes, those same stereotypes are present and linked to the Barbenheimer experience. Through a wide and dated lens, one of these movies could be seen as a “chick-flick,” with the other being described as a “dad-movie.”
So, all these months later, is there a clear answer? Who was the Barbenheimer winner?
Barbenheimer Winner: Let’s Talk Box-Office
Declaring a “winner” would, of course, entail looking at several aspects; however, the most significant could arguable be the box-office. Afterall, a film studio’s main goal is to make money. Well, in the case of Barbenheimer, both films wracked up major numbers at the worldwide box-office, withOppenheimerbeing the third highest grossing film of the year with with 950.7 million-dollars, beat-out byThe Super Mario Bros. Moviein the number-two slot with 1.3 billion-dollars. However, it wasBarbiethat ultimately took the crown, bringing in an astonishing 1.4 billion-dollars.
Barbenheimer Winner: What About Critical Reception?
WhileThe Super Mario Bros. Moviedid major numbers at the box-office, it’s critical reception was lukewarm at best. Barbenheimer, on the other hand, was knocking it out of the park with critics and audiences alike.Barbiereceived a certified fresh critic’s score of 88% and an audience score of 83% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.Oppenheimer —though slightly behind at the box-office — pulled ahead critically with an impressive fresh critic’s score of 93% and an audience score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively. Of course, the Oscars won’t air until March of 2024, and while it’s suspected thatOppenheimerwill sweep many categories,Barbiehas a strong cultural presence, and it will be interesting to see how that transfers into the Academy Awards. Both are likely to be up for Best Picture, but who is most likely to take home the statue?
So… Who Won?
This is admittedly cheesy, and not all the answer you’re looking for, but honestly… didn’t we as an audience win? We received two of the greatest films of the year on the same day, allowing for one of the strangest double-feature opportunities in recent memory, and theaters proved that they had bounced back from the pandemic with massive box-office numbers.
In all honesty, the true defining answer of who won Barbenheimer won’t be known for years, or maybe even decades. Will these films hold relevance and will they be looked back on fondly? After all, there have been several Best Picture winners that are now viewed in a negative — or at least much less favorable — manner than when they initially released. The test of time is the truest test, and perhaps we’ll have to reexamine this question in a few years?
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Joshua Ryan
Lead Film & TV Critics Editor
Articles Published :322
Born and raised in Central Florida, Joshua Ryan has harbored a love for cinema since the earliest years of his childhood. Through endless hours of watching Turner Classic Movies, especially the works of Alfred Hitchcock, his passion for film and film criticism grew. As an adult, he channeled that passion into a career as the editor and lead critic of FandomWire’s film and television department.
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BarbenheimerBarbieBoxofficeChristopher NolanGreta GerwigMoviesOppenheimer
