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Should I watch Oppenheimer or Barbie first?

Barbenheimer is the summer's big double bill, with two massive new movies sharing an opening weekend. But should you watch Oppenheimer or Barbie first.

Should I watch Barbie or Oppenheimer first?

Should I watch Oppenheimer or Barbie first? Here at The Digital Fix, we only answer the biggest questions facing mankind. What’s the meaning of life? Is there a God? Who’s the best Batman? And now, of course, the question or how to double bill a movie about the pioneer of the atomic bomb and one about an anthropomorphized doll. What a world.

Oppenheimer and Barbie, in their respective development stages, would never have seemed like new movies that could share the same air. And yet, here we are. The Oppenheimer release date and the Barbie movie release date are coming on the same day, which raises the prospect of a tantalizing double bill of what could be two of the year’s best movies.

So, you’ve decided on your double bill. Barbenheimer is happening. That raises a big question. Should I watch Oppenheimer or Barbie first? It’s a topic that will occupy the great minds for generations to come, but we’ve taken a stab at it.

Should I watch Oppenheimer or Barbie first?

We’d recommend you watch Oppenheimer before Barbie. Greta Gerwig’s comedy will make for a nice palate cleanser after three hours of impending nuclear annihilation. You’ll probably need the sugar rush.

Ultimately, you’ll have a great time whichever way around you do the Barbenheimer double bill. These are movies by some of the best directors in Hollywood, while both the Oppenheimer cast and the Barbie cast are packed with stars at the top of their games.

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They also couldn’t be more different. Barbie is packed with color and comedy, set amid the carefree pastel hues of Barbie Land. Oppenheimer, meanwhile, is a portentous historical epic from a notoriously serious filmmaker in Christopher Nolan. We’re sure they’ll both be great, but they’re unlikely bedfellows.

With that in mind, we recommend thinking of this like a restaurant meal. As much as you want the sweetness of dessert first, it’s just going to put you off your hearty savory meal. After spending two hours in Barbie Land with Ryan Gosling’s ultimate himbo Ken, the prospect of three hours of Cillian Murphy looking stern doesn’t sound very appetizing.

However, if you’ve just witnessed the epic tale of one of humanity’s most dangerous and destructive innovations, the perfect follow-up will be the chance to experience one of 2023’s best comedy movies. It just makes sense.

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So now we’ve got your Barbenheimer plans sorted, check out the Oppenheimer age rating and the Barbie movie age rating to find out whether the family can come along. We’ve explained why the Barbie movie is banned in Vietnam and delved into the Oppenheimer true story, as well as exploring the Barbie movie’s body diversity.

You can also learn about how Barbie caused a worldwide shortage of the color pink and why Cillian Murphy thinks Oppenhemer will mess us up. Then, we’ve got more on the biggest 2023 movies still to come this summer, including The Meg 2 release date and the Gran Turismo movie release date.