Barbie
Overview
Barbie is a 2023 fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig, based on the iconic Mattel fashion doll. The film became a cultural phenomenon, earning critical acclaim and massive box office success while sparking conversations about feminism, identity, and patriarchy. The story begins in Barbie Land, a bright, pink, perfect world where every day is the best day ever. All the Barbies live in harmony — there is Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie), President Barbie (Issa Rae), Physicist Barbie (Emma Mackey), Writer Barbie (Alexandra Shipp), and many others. The Kens, including Stereotypical Ken (Ryan Gosling), exist only to be noticed by the Barbies. Their lives are a series of dance parties, beach days, and pink convertibles. However, Stereotypical Barbie begins to experience malfunctions — she has thoughts of death, her feet go flat, and she develops cellulite. She is told by Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), a doll who was played with too roughly, that she must travel to the Real World to find the child playing with her and fix the glitch. Ken secretly follows her in his pink Corvette. In the Real World, Barbie discovers that the real world is not like Barbie Land. Women are subjected to the male gaze, sexual harassment, and systemic sexism. She feels overwhelmed and afraid. Meanwhile, Ken discovers the concept of patriarchy and is thrilled. He returns to Barbie Land before Barbie and transforms it into Kendom, where the Kens wear fur coats, ride horses, and build "Mojo Dojo Casa Houses" while the Barbies are brainwashed into being subservient. Barbie must return, snap her fellow Barbies out of their trance, and restore equality to Barbie Land. The film is hilarious, with Ryan Gosling stealing every scene as the himbo Ken who just wants to be noticed. But it is also deeply emotional, especially a scene where Barbie, sitting on a bench with her creator Ruth Handler (played by Rhea Perlman), chooses to become human — with all the pain and uncertainty that comes with it. Margot Robbie is perfect as Barbie, conveying both the plastic perfection and the growing humanity underneath. The film's production design is extraordinary, recreating the doll's world in practical sets rather than CGI, from the pink houses to the painted cardboard waves of the beach. Barbie was a massive box office success, earning over $1.4 billion worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing film ever directed by a woman. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning one for Best Original Song for "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish. Barbie is a smart, funny, and surprisingly profound film that uses a toy to explore what it means to be human.
