The hit 2023 film has finally dropped on Amazon Prime Video – and it’s free (Image: AP)
One of the biggest films of the 2020s has officially begun streaming for free on Amazon Prime. Barbie was one of the most hotly anticipated films of 2023, and became a global sensation long before its release in July of that year.
Packed with much-loved Barbie characters, vibrant sets, and iconic pink outfits, Barbie left its mark on the film industry and its audience. Margot Robbie was announced as the lead Barbie, taking ‘method’ to the next level as she donned various outfits throughout the press tour mirroring her title role. The film became the highest grossing film of 2023, eclipsing its rival Oppenheimer, and the 14th highest grossing film of all time at time of its release.
READ MORE: Horror ‘masterpiece’ with ‘scariest scene in cinema history’ has 98% score
READ MORE: Iconic 2000s film that launched the career of British star is now on Netflix
The film follows Barbie have a crisis of confidence, setting out into the real world to find herself (Image: AP/Warner Bros. Pictures)
Barbie follows Robbie as ‘stereotypical’ Barbie and many of her fellow dolls living their lives in Barbieland, a matriarchal society populated by different versions of Barbie, Ken, and a group of discontinued models. The Barbies hold prestigious jobs in law, science, politics, while the Kens are seen spending their time playing at the beach.
One night during a dance party, Robbie’s character experiences a sudden wave of worry about mortality, which ultimately causes her to lose the perfection experienced by the dolls. On instruction from Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), she ventures out of Barbieland and into the real world to find a child playing with her to cure her of her afflictions.
There she experiences many issues faced by women and after the CEO of Mattel, the company which created Barbie, gets wind of her presence, the company orders her capture.
The film itself is brimming with acting talent; alongside Robbie in the titular role, there’s also Ryan Gosling as Ken, a friend to Robbie’s ‘Stereotypical Barbie’, often referred to as ‘Beach Ken’. But he’s not the only actor to take on the role, with the likes of Simu Liu, Kingsley-Ben Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, and John Cena all playing variations of the male doll.
Putting women at the forefront of Barbieland, we’re introduced to characters with high-powered jobs, including Issa Rae as President Barbie, Alexandra Shipp as Writer Barbie, Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie, Hari Nef as Dr Barbie, Sharon Rooney as Lawyer Barbie, and Nicola Coughlan as Diplomat Barbie. Oh, and a sneaky cameo of Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie.
Dua Lipa also sang ‘Dance the Night’, written by Mark Ronson, the lead single for the film. The song was the backdrop for the disco party in the film.
There’s also a touching nod to Barbie’s creator Ruth Handler, played by Rhea Perlman.
Ken also goes on a journey of his own, learning about patriarchy – attempting to overthrow Barbieland (Image: AP)
The film deals with themes of feminism, masculinity and related issues, much like the doll has done over the decades, as well as exploring themes of existentialism.
The film was also part of the popular culture phenomenon dubbed ‘Barbenheimer’ alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, with the two sharing the same release date, July 21, 2023. These were the two most-anticipated films of the year, with many film buffs around the world seeing both films back-to-back on the day of their release.
Oppenheimer went on to be nominated for 13 Oscars at the 96th Academy Awards, scooping up the titles in seven categories, including Best Picture, Best Director for Nolan, Best Actor for lead star Cillian Murphy, and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr.
While Barbie was tipped to take home several gongs during award season, it received eight nominations at the same Academy Awards, with nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling, Best Supporting Actress for America Ferrera, and two nominations for Best Original Song. Margot Robbie notably missed out on a nomination for Best Actress, one of the biggest snubs of the awards show.
“Barbie is a visually dazzling comedy whose meta humor is smartly complemented by subversive storytelling,” read the Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes. The film received an average rating of 88% on the Tomatometer and 83% on the Popcornmeter, respectively.
Jocelyn Noveck wrote for Associated Press: “The neatest trick is how Barbie, starring a pitch-perfect Margot Robbie, can simultaneously and smoothly both mock and admire its source material.”
Candice Frederick wrote for HuffPost: “Is “Barbie” a fun time at the movie theater? Absolutely. Will it make you laugh, and maybe even tear up at points? For sure. Then the filmmakers, and Mattel, did their job.”
One viewer wrote: “It is not your typical Barbie movie that we all know and love from the early 2000s. Regardless it is a beautiful movie and I absolutely love the deeper meaning behind it.”
Barbie is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, as well as Netflix, Apple TV+ and Sky Movies.