As I handed my movie ticket to the collector at the theater, he took one look at my hot pink shirt and jokingly asked, “Here to see ‘Oppenheimer?’” 

In anticipation of the release of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” on July 21, the hashtag “Barbenheimer” trended on social media throughout June and July, according to TIME. On social media, anticipation for the separate movies became intertwined as users created thematic outfits, schedules for their “Barbenheimer” day, and memes about the releases, TIME said.

While the comedic “Barbie” and thriller “Oppenheimer” were starkly different, fans planned double features. According to the National Association of Theater Owners, 200,000 people bought tickets to see both movies during opening weekend. The Atlantic also reported the combined “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” release was the largest box-office showing since “Avengers End-Game” released in 2019. “Barbie” grossed $337 million and “Oppenheimer” grossed $174 million.

Senior Meredith Kottom originally planned to only watch “Oppenheimer,” but she attended a double feature after a friend bought “Barbie” tickets a few days before the show.

“The roommates I lived with over the summer really wanted me to go with them,” Kottom said. “I thought, I have to go see it because it’s an experience, and it was a fun group.” 

Kottom’s group started with “Barbie,” took a break for dinner, and then returned to the theater to watch “Oppenheimer.” The whole evening took close to six hours, she said.

“‘Oppenheimer’ was very heavy and a lot to contemplate so I would definitely see the more light-hearted ‘Barbie’ before,” Kottom said. “At the end of ‘Barbie,’ it made me think about what it means to be a woman, and to think about my family. It wasn’t as much of a transition over to ‘Oppenheimer’ because there were some deep themes in ‘Barbie.’ The ‘Barbie’ movie was a fun, pop culture movie and then ‘Oppenheimer’ was a historical drama, so the contrast was still really stark.”

Freshman Devin Houts said she fully embraced the “Barbenheimer” trend.

“Something about showing up to every theater or mall that was filled with people half decked out in pink, platforms, and sparkles and then half suits, fedoras, and briefcases was a great way to find a kind of community with strangers in our excitement over the same movies,” Houts said. “Both movies were controversial in various respects, but I found myself appreciating the cinematography and score of Christopher Nolan’s film as well as the relatability and silliness of the Barbie movie.”

Freshman Abigail Stonestreet said she enjoyed the cinematographic effects of “Barbie,” but she said she had mixed feelings on the overall message.

“The aesthetics and production quality were fascinating, and made for a well-made movie,” Stonestreet said. “However, I struggled to find much moral value in the plot itself. I did not feel like it represented the equality we so desire and seek as a society, but instead, encouraged a war between the sexes. The main thought I left the movie with is that I would not want my 6-year-old brother to see a two-hour movie that tells him he is the problem with society because he is male.”

Freshman Nicholas Heide said he enjoyed the visual elements of “Oppenheimer.”

“The plot was engaging from beginning to end and the music and overall visuals were fantastic,” Heide said. “Although I am hesitant to believe that Oppenheimer was not in fact colluding with the communists, I thought that the movie did well portraying the opposing moral implications of the creation and use of the bomb.”