Cold Open · Essay · sep 20, 2023

Billion Dollar Barbie

A rare cultural moment in cinema: the release of Greta Gerwig's Barbie had everyone talking. Sharing their experiences of watching the candy-coloured spectacle, the hosts question why Barbie was held to different standards compared to Nolan's Oppenheimer — and ask where big studio cinema can go from here. An episode about expectation, cultural weight, and what it means when a mainstream film tries to say something genuinely feminist — and whether it actually succeeds.

By Elliot Bloom

Film Journalist · Celebrating Cinema

A rare cultural moment in cinema, the release and aftermath of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie certainly had us all talking. Sharing our experiences of watching the candy-colored ‘battle of the sexes’, we question why Barbie was set different standards compared to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and where big studio movies can go from here. Did we place too much expectation on what might feel like a frivolous show-stopper of pink-drenched fun? Whether it’s the end of something old or the start of something new, Barbenheimer has no doubt made its mark. Take a listen as we try to make sense of it all.

Subscribe to our podcast

Cold Open

Show notes

Greta Gerwig’s Official Barbie Watchlist – Letterboxd
Metamodernism – Thomas Flight
Is Barbie Peak White Feminism? Does It Even Matter? – Jordain Searles

Partnership with MUBI

We are delighted to announce our new partnership with MUBI, a curated streaming platform. Together, we offer you 30 days free to watch hand-picked films discussed in the ongoing podcast series, a LAB111 podcast celebrating the intricate wonders of cinema.