As we reach the end of 2023, it’s hard to argue anything made a bigger pop culture impact than Barbie. What would have been an emotionally empty cash grab about the world’s most popular doll turned out to be a reason for moviegoers to celebrate the evolution of said doll franchise from merely a toy to a symbol of strength, individualism, and accepting yourself.
While on the surface, Barbie was a flashy and fun romp, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling acting cute and goofy around each other while wearing bright clothes, it was about so much more. After spending their entire existence thinking their simple and idyllic way of life had influenced the world, Barbie (Robbie) realized just how bleak reality can be. This is a film that takes aim at toxic masculinity, corporate America, and everyone who tries to minimize your very existence, all through the eyes of a Barbie doll.
With the strength of Robbie’s and Gosling’s performances, along with other cast members like Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, and so many more, this is also one of the strongest ensembles we’ve seen in a long time. While the various versions of Barbie and Ken may have been played as largely surface level, they all pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle to create a fascinating and exciting version of Barbie World. Meanwhile, the non-doll side of the cast, led by America Ferrara, showed that as damaged as the world might be, there was still hope for the future.
Of course, another huge point in Barbie’s favor was the summer phenomenon known only as Barbenheimer. It’s a phrase none of us knew entering the year. As we close out 2023, though, it’s hard to imagine never learning about the portmanteau of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
It was what feels like a rare case of people simply being excited about movies, rather than picking sides to cheer on. Instead of being excited about Barbie or Oppenheimer, many were simply excited. In a summer that saw the movie and TV industries grind to a halt while the WGA and SAG-AFTRA negotiated with the studios for new union contracts, leading to the delay of a number of films and TV shows, Barbie and Oppenheimer gave us a reason to be excited to go to the movies.
In the end, both were victorious. However, Barbie remains the undisputed champion of the year. With the highest box office gross and an indelible mark left on the world that has us dying for a sequel, even if we never get one, Barbie was a game-changing movie experience. How could GameSpot pick anything else for its best movie of 2023?
