Barbie Spoiler-Free Review: Ten Out of Ken for the Movie of the Year So Far

By Dylan Mann-Hazell, Content Writer at myGwork

The girls and gays are forming lines outside cinemas across the world. People are hosting sparkly cocktail pre-drink parties. Clothing stores are facing a major depletion of all pink and frilly items. This can only mean one thing...

It’s Oppenheimer’s opening week.

Coincidentally, it also happens to be the opening week of Greta Gerwig’s latest directional feature, Barbie. With its star-studded cast and enough promotional material to blow Marvel out of the water, the excitement building towards this movie over the past 6 months has been beyond palpable. From endless memes (she’s everything, he’s just Ken) to the impressive list of pop artists lined up for the soundtrack, anyone with the slightest access to the internet will have seen some reference to the Barbie movie this year. But what is the movie about, exactly, and does it live up to the hype?

Image Credit: Canva

Director and co-writer Greta Gerwig has gained a devoted following in recent years for her brutally honest exploration of feminist themes in her work. From the heart-wrenching Lady Bird, depicting a difficult relationship between a teenage girl and her mother, and her touching rendition of Little Women, which put more of a spotlight on protagonist Jo March than any adaptation before, it’s clear that Gerwig has a priority in her filmmaking: representing women. And with that, representing the distinctive struggles they face in a world too-often set against them. That’s where Barbie (Margot Robbie) comes in, in her