Over a year afterBarbie’s record-breaking theatrical release,Netflix added the highest-grossing film of 2023to its library, where it sits among many other similar movies. The fantasy comedy, directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, is the first live-action film based on Mattel’s Barbie fashion dolls.Barbiestars Margot Robbie as the titular character, who travels from Barbieland to the real world after she starts losing all the qualities that make her a “perfect” doll.The movie was a tremendous success, both financially and critically,resulting in Gerwig and Baumbach developing aBarbiesequel (perThe Hollywood Reporter).
Barbie
Cast
Barbie is a film adaptation of the generational iconic toy directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach. The film centers on Margot Robbie’s Barbie who is expelled from Barbieland and travels with Ken (Ryan Gosling) to the real world in search of happiness. The film also stars Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, and several other famous celebrities in cameo roles.
UntilGerwig’s reportedBarbiesequelpremieres, fans of the first movie can check out related films on Netflix (after re-watchingBarbieas many times as their hearts desire, of course). While the fantasy comedy is undoubtedly one of a kind,a handful of other great movies contain similar themes, stories, tones, etc.They might not beBarbie, but they are all entertaining and heartfelt in their own right.
8Crossroads
Directed By: Tamra Davis
PerhapsCrossroadsisn’t the first movie that comes to mind when thinking ofBarbie, but the two films are quite alike. Both are directed by women and feature themes of female empowerment, friendship, and self-discovery.InCrossroads, three teenage girls set out on a cross-country road trip after high school graduation, and the three estranged friends go on the journey for different reasons. Meanwhile, inGreta Gerwig’s movie, Barbie is also on a journey of self-discovery.
Is Crossroads Based On Britney Spears' Real Life? The Movie’s Inspiration Explained
Lucy’s story in Crossroads has some similarities to Britney Spears' life, raising questions about whether Crossroads is based on her life or not.
Plus,Crossroadshas a star-studded, talented cast who elevate the story, similar toBarbie’s cast.Britney Spears, Zoe Saldaña, and Taryn Manning play the aforementioned three best friends,withCrossroadsserving as Spears' feature film debut(and her last starring role). Other cast members include Anson Mount, Kim Cattrall, Dan Aykroyd, Justin Long, Beverly Johnson, and Jamie Lynn Spears.
7Ella Enchanted
Directed By: Tommy O’Haver
For those cravinga bit of romance alongside feminist themes and catchy tunes,look no further thanElla Enchanted. The 2004 jukebox musical fantasy comedymovie stars Anne Hathawayas Ella, a woman from the kingdom of Lamia who is cursed to be obedient (meaning she has to do whatever anyone tells her to do). For her whole life, Ella has had to obey everyone. However, her life begins to change after meeting Hugh Dancy’s Prince Char.
Heston (voice)
Joanna Lumley
Dame Olga
Ella gets to be the hero of her own story in this fairy-tale satire,similar to Barbie inBarbie. In fact, Hathaway’s character is the furthest thing from a damsel in distress.Ella Enchantedis absurd, funny, whimsical, and musical, but it’s also quite inspirational, making it the perfect movie to go alongside Greta Gerwig’s 2023 fantasy comedy.
6Moxie
Directed By: Amy Poehler
ManyNetflix original moviesare also great watches to pair withBarbie, likeMoxie.Amy Poehler’s 2021 comedy-dramafollows a teenage girl who is inspired by her mother (played by Poehler) tostart a feminist zine (called “Moxie”) at her high school.She wants to empower young women, like herself, and call out the rampant sexism they all have to experience every day. The movement causes an uproar at school and forever changes the students and faculty.
On the surface, it’s easy to see howMoxieandBarbieare alike. Both have feminist themes, emphasize the power of sisterhood, and feature the main character undergoing dramatic (but necessary) soul-searching.It’s hard not to feel inspired after watchingMoxieandBarbie,no matter what gender the viewer identifies with, which is why they complement one another so nicely.
5Someone Great
Directed By: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Another great (pun not intended) movie to watch alongsideBarbieisSomeone Great. The2019 Netflix romantic comedy stars Gina Rodriguezas Jenny, a young woman who has just gotten out of a long-term relationship and is moving from New York to San Francisco, where she has been offered her dream job atRolling Stone. After her boyfriend dumps her,Jenny and her friends (Brittany Snow’s Blair and DeWanda Wise’s Erin) go on one last hurrah in the city,to mend Jenny’s broken heart and give her a proper sendoff before she leaves for the West Coast.
Someone Greatdirector/writer Jennifer Kaytin Robinson was inspired by Taylor Swift’s fifth studio album1989while developing the movie. Then, Swift was inspired bySomeone Greatto write “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” a song from her seventh studio albumLover.
LikeMargot Robbie’s character inBarbie,Jenny is in a funk and is in desperate need of some women’s empowermentinSomeone Great. While the Netflix original movie includes some romance (it’s a rom-com, after all), it mostly focuses on the three women at the center of the story and their journeys. So, althoughSomeone Greatfeatures love stories, the movie isn’t about romance;it’s about women undergoing radical changes and learning how to cope with that (similar toBarbie).
4On The Basis Of Sex
Directed By: Mimi Leder
Women rule the government inBarbie. However, in the real world, politics are very different and tend to favor male candidates. One of the first women to break through this barrier, though, was Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is at the center of the story in the 2018 biopicOn the Basis of Sex. Ginsburg was a lawyer who becamethe second woman to serve as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Courtwhen President Bill Clinton nominated her in 1993. She assumed the position until her death in 2020.
On the Basis of Sexstars Felicity Jones as Ginsburgand follows the early days of her career.The movie chronicles the struggles that Ginsburg faced as a woman in the world of lawand how her persistence and passion resulted in her obtaining a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States. WhileOn the Basis of Sexis certainly darker and more dramatic thanBarbie, Ginsburg’s pursuits and struggles are just as inspiring as Barbie’s triumphs.
3The Six Triple Eight
Directed By: Tyler Perry
The Six Triple Eightdebuted on Netflix in December 2024 and quickly started trending on the streaming platform.Tyler Perry’s biographical war dramais based on Kevin M. Hymel’s 2019WWII Historyarticle “Fighting a Two-Front War"andrevolves around the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion,an all-Black and all-female battalion serving during World War II. While certainly different in tone, cinematography, and plot,The Six Triple Eightcontains themes that can also be seen inBarbie.
Gregg Sulkin
Abram David
BarbieandThe Six Triple Eightaddress sexismand the obstacles women face. However, the latter movie also discusses racism, seeing as the members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion had to face both. As a result,The Six Triple Eightundoubtedly has more serious undertones (and is more rooted in reality), but it’s more than a worthwhile watch afterBarbie.
2Easy A
Directed By: Will Gluck
Easy A’s tone is most likeBarbie’s as it’s funny, colorful, witty, and contains various layers. The2010 rom-comalsofeatures a painfully misunderstood character (similar to Margot Robbie’s Barbie)— Emma Stone’s Olive Penderghast. Olive is a teenager who gets ridiculed at school after a rumor goes around about her having sex. So, she decides to embrace her new label and stitches a red “A” onto her clothes (an homage to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novelThe Scarlet Letter).
Easy A Ending Explained
The teen comedy movie Easy A weaves together a story of sexual stigma and lies that has an entertaining ending inspired by John Hughes’s movies.
Easy Achronicles what it’s like to be a teenage girl in high school who everyone judges for having sex (even though Olive technically didn’t), while the boys receive praise for doing the same thing. Meanwhile,Barbieis about how patriarchy hurts everyone. So,Barbie’s message seemingly goes hand-in-hand withEasy A’s,with the 2010 rom-com focusing on one specific example of the theme of the 2023 fantasy comedy.
1Do Revenge
Do Revengeis the second movie Jennifer Kaytin Robinson directed (afterSomeone Great). Like her first film,the 2022 teen black comedy is all about female friendships (with a twist).Do Revengestars Camila Mendesas Drea and Maya Hawke as Eleanor, two teenagers who help one another get revenge against someone who harmed them. Drea is mad at her ex-boyfriend for sharing a scandalous video of her. Meanwhile, Eleanor is furious about a rumor that she forcibly kissed another girl (Carissa) at summer camp a few years ago, which resulted in Eleanor becoming a social outcast.
At the center ofDo Revenge’s story is the complicated friendship between Drea and Eleanor, tying it to other movies that promote women’s empowerment (likeBarbie).
Do Revengepays homage to classic teen films(likeHeathersandMean Girls) while containing many elements that make it unique. However, as mentioned above, at the center ofDo Revenge’s story is the complicated friendship between Drea and Eleanor, tying it to other movies that promote women’s empowerment (likeBarbie).
Do Revenge
Camilla Mendes and Maya Hawke star in Do Revenge, a Netflix comedy film about two high schoolers that after experiencing social bullying on a spectacular scale, become social outcasts. When Drea (Mendes) has a private video of hers leaked out across the internet by her boyfriend, her social life and brand are irreparably tarnished, leaving her outside her prior social circle. Eleanor (Hawke) experiences a similar situation when her bully, a girl named Carissa (Ava Capri), spreads a rumor that she tried to hold her down and kiss her. When the two form an unexpected friendship, they plan to “do revenge” against each other’s bullies in an elaborate scheme to tear them down.
