Already considered “fresh” by Rotten Tomatoes, having become the highest-grossing film directed by a woman, and surpassing $1 billion at the box office, Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is an instant classic. 

The movie stars Margot Robbie in the titular role, supported by a star-studded Hollywood cast and a soundtrack curated by Grammy award winner Mark Ronson that features artists such as Billie Eilish, Charlie XCX, Tame Impala and Dua Lipa. 

“Barbie,” released on July 21, won the opening weekend box office against Cristopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” biopic.

“Barbie” follows Margot Robbie as “Stereotypical Barbie” as she struggles with her existence as a doll and the problems women face in the real world. Her doll counterpart Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, revels in the real world and has a hard time readjusting to Barbie Land, a place where everything is run by the Barbies. 

In its nearly two-hour runtime, the film does its best to not shy away from hard topics centered around gender inequality, feminism and the effects of the patriarchy on women as well as men.

“Going into the ‘Barbie’ movie, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it surprised me and I think it could be movie of the year. The soundtrack with ‘I’m Just Ken’ and ‘Dance the Night’ was a true masterpiece.” – Dylan Stern, 12

“I appreciated how the ‘Barbie’ movie found a way to touch on important social issues. Although it was a lighthearted and fun movie, it still found a way to call out and question the problems within our society.” – Allie Heidemann, 12

“I thought the movie was pretty good, although it was definitely over-hyped. It was vibrant, fun and had a good message.” – Myka Beck, 11

“Every detail of this movie feels like it is filled with so much love and care. The movie also exceeded every single one of my expectations and has quickly become one of my favorite movies ever.” – Preston Baker, 12