Barbie [2023] – Margot Robbie, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ryan Gosling

Barbie proves that life in plastic is not always fantastic. Thanks to a perfect script and direction by Greta Gerwig, the movie will soar to a cult classic.

In fact, Barbie (the movie) is a lot of things: a visually dazzling comedy, a coming-of-age drama, a “fuck you” to capitalism and branding, but also, it’s a genius marketing campaign by Mattel to boost sales. And yes, somehow, Gerwig managed to achieve all of that, while also giving the middle finger to Mattel.

Starring an extensive list of A-List actors, the movie focuses on Barbie’s (Margot Robbie) breakdown and the Ken rivalry (Ryan Gosling & Simu Liu). From the infamous doll discovering that she doesn’t have to be “stereotypical” and the reversal of the gender roles, to the Ken duo understanding that they can exist outside their link to the doll, the movie has lots and lots of layers.

Barbie isn’t just beautiful pink eye candy. Greta Gerwig delivers an equally funny and compelling story that most will enjoy. While the third act gets muddled tackling several ideas into a neat ending, Robbie & Gosling make it all worthwhile. This movie is bold, smart, and surprisingly sophisticated. It may look like a silly action adventure, but textured dialog and rapid-fire gags add important layers of meaning that strike a nerve.

Even Ken has a sugar daddy….

Should you watch it?

Gerwig manages to reconcile corporate interests with those of her own filmography. An extremely good movie that is definitely worth watching even if it’s just to piss off conservatives.

Where can I watch it?

Barbie is now playing in theaters.