Barbenheimer isn't the first Double Feature you've heard of...

Like a good bit of the country this past month, I experienced the double-feature of 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' by visionaries Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan. Both films premiered July 21, 2023, with a tremendous weekend of $235.5 million. Given this year's flops, those are huge numbers. An almost perfect event for all audiences, and I hope they do many more. After watching, I wondered how often these joint features happen...

Turns out, after taking a quick dive, similar theatre double features have happened a few times before. A familiar double feature of 'The Dark Knight' and 'Mamma Mia' premiered on July 18, 2008. Another Christopher Nolan film posed alongside the more female-led movie Mamma Mia. With a somewhat star-studded cast for each film, yet not quite as stacked as the more recent double feature. On March 31, 1999, 'The Matrix' and '10 Things I Hate About You' debuted. A nearly identical pairing as those previous doubles.

There are about eight or more instances of this dual film anomaly. Such duals as 'Casino' and 'Toy Story' in 1995 and 'Bladerunner' and 'The Thing' in 1982. So, notably, it's been done before. But this recent Barbenheimer premiere beats them all out with its still-growing box office numbers. Many movie-goers even went as far as dressing in the style of each film. These two owe their success to how easily a collective idea can spread through social media, truly showcasing the power of the internet.

This event, of course, brought on arguments about which film was better. There was also a conservative attempt to boycott Barbie with its assumed pro-LGBTQ messaging. Hilariously, to those boycotters- a mapping of the U.S. 'Barbie' vs. 'Oppenheimer' debate was almost identical to that of the Electoral College in the 2016 presidential election (dailydot, Huggins). But surprising to many, democrat states lean more towards the historical bomb film drama and Republicans to the plastic doll musical comedy. That much didn't surprise me. It more so reinforced the fact that this dual film premiere was for everyone. Even to the point, crowds were engaging in such online political discourse over the event.

Barbenheimer is something I hope the studios catch onto and continue to push. Dual films are refreshing and have proven to be a more than profitable plan. The whole experience caters to everyone, with very few left unhappy. While the dual feature has been done before, there's never been a better time to double-indulge in this grand-slam summer spectacle. It was a weekend for the people, well, not by the people, but by some creative individuals. It's a premiere many would participate in for more than a simple gimmick. I mean- look at the numbers for just one weekend!

Setting aside Barbenheimer double feature memes, linked here, I'll go more into depth, addressing the Barbie movie’s themes.

[Cover photo by Belkaa Photographer on Unsplash]