Barbie
2023 · Directed by Greta Gerwig
Original language: English
- comedy
- adventure
- fantasy
The story
Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
What it’s like
Hyper-saturated pinks, turquoise and candy-yellow sets that look like a lacquered toy box come alive under flat, shadowless studio light, with the camera gliding through them in bright, stylised tracking shots and sudden choreographed musical numbers. The look flips at the border to the real world: washed-out, grainy daylight on grey Los Angeles streets, handheld wobble and ordinary fluorescent offices, so the contrast itself does the work. Scoring is bouncy pop and synth-driven, with lyrics that wink at the audience. The vibe is giddy, knowing and bittersweet, the kind of bright pastel comedy you can enjoy at a loud Friday-night screening or a playful comfort rewatch. Pacing is brisk and gag-heavy, with slapstick and sharp dialogue turning into quieter, more earnest moments about self-worth and what it means to be a woman. The emotional arc follows a doll discovering her own doubts and a man who learns his identity doesn't have to hinge on approval; the satire lands on patriarchy and consumer ideals with warmth rather than cruelty. Violence is essentially absent, with only cartoonish pratfalls and mild peril; sexual content is limited to kissing and innuendo, and the swearing is light. It suits people who want a funny, colourful, socially pointed film that is easy to sit with and never frightening.
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