By: Mia Wong

Photo By Mike, CC BY-3.0 on DeviantArt

The Barbie and Oppenheimer movies were considered the latest summer blockbusters since they were released last year, and the 2024 Critics Choice Awards had the evidence to prove it. 

This year, the 2024 Critics Choice Awards took place on January 14, 2024.  It was a significant event because it honored the best current cinematic achievements. Taking place at the Santa Monica Airport, people were likely to claim that this event was the predictor of the Oscar’s picks in the acting industry. Regarding the success of the “Barbenheimer” films, it was stated that the movie Oppenheimer was the all-time big winner with eight awards and the Barbie movie not too far behind with six. There were many other awards given out to honor some of the most famous actors across the globe, but this success has led to improvement for the film industry. 

This huge win at the Critics Choice Awards was significant for the movie industry because it paved the way for other films that had been recognized at the ceremony as well. Although the two movies were contrastingly different from each other, their tabloid presence was similar since both movies were released on the same day. Some might have thought that this had occurred because the directors were competing, but the audience  ultimately ended up picturing it as a partnership. This was caused by the humor between the contrast that was put on the podium within social media platforms. As a result, the presence of both movies on social media garnered enough attention for people to coordinate their snacks, drinks and outfits so they could match the movie they were watching. You may ask, what did this have to do with the movie industry? To put it simply, the marketing for these movies skyrocketed because both films had the potential for huge success individually and together. Having both a contrast and similarity like “Barbenheimer” was considerably new within the marketing schemes of the industry, influencing more directors to do the same.. Therefore, with the cinematic highlight of “Barbenheimer” in 2023, make sure to be on the lookout for more emerging trends and highlights in the new year of 2024.

Works Cited

Barber, Nicholas. “What does ‘Barbenheimer’ really mean?” BBC, 21 July 2023, https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230720-what-does-barbenheimer-really-mean-for-hollywood. Accessed 16 January 2024.

de Guzman, Chad. “Critics Choice Awards 2024: All Winners and Nominees | TIME.” Time, 15 January 2024, https://time.com/6555424/critics-choice-awards-2024-winners-nominees-oppenheimer-barbie/. Accessed 16 January 2024.

NBC. “’Oppenheimer’ leads Critics Choice Awards with 8 wins, ‘Barbie’ scores 6.” NBC News, 15 January 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/oppenheimer-leads-critics-choice-awards-8-wins-barbie-scores-6-rcna133938. Accessed 16 January 2024.