Warning: this article contains spoilers for Barbie.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has finally hit theaters. More than 20 character posters for the film were shared on social media, revealing that different Barbies and Kens will live in one area, all played by various cast members. Not to mention, each one has a distinct personality, and the Kens… are just Ken.
But how could one make a film about a toy doll? Will it be like the animated features where Barbie plays a variety of fictional characters? Or will she be the star of her own solo adventure? Here is what you need to know about the official plot for Gerwig’s Barbie.
What is the plot of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie?
Unlike the plethora of Barbie movies that existed over the years, this one isn’t targeted at children. In other words, expect it to be different from The Princess Barbie Saga, Fairytopia Saga, or anything in the animated universe.
The film is about “Stereotypical” Barbie, played by Margot Robbie. Unlike all the other Barbies with careers, this Barbie represents the first thing in your head when you think “Barbie.” Her life is perfect until she starts having thoughts of death one night. From that moment on, her world begins to change. She experiences cold showers, flat feet, and cellulite on her legs. She seeks advice from Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), who tells her she needs to find her “owner.”
Alongside Ken, the two traverse to the real world, only to discover how it’s completely different from Barbieland. Meanwhile, Mattel’s CEO (played by Will Ferrell) is informed of a Barbie sighting and begins their mission to “put her in a box” before it causes problems.
This movie is more than just a story about the doll or the character. It poses questions of existentialism, the patriarchy, feminism, Barbie’s vision for society, and what Barbie was meant to represent for young girls and women. Essentially, it’s a pretty deep film splattered with pink, and comedy.
Barbie will hit theaters on July 21, 2023, the same day Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is released.
