Shonda Rhimes Is About to End Greta Gerwig With This Barbie Documentary
Here’s a Barbie story done right.
Ever since the phenomenon of Oppenheimer and Barbie took over social media and actual movie theaters in the summer of 2023, the media and casual viewers alike couldn't stop talking about Greta Gerwig's film. It was at the center of the recent awards season and remains one of the most talked about films of the past year.
The problem that many of the viewers who have already seen Barbie have with the film is that it didn't seem to take the feminist ideas in its base far enough to be meaningful. Instead, many left-wing activists ended up dismissing it as populist, and many conservatives still hated it for criticizing the patriarchy.
Now that some time has passed, Shonda Rhimes has returned to the Barbie theme, but with a very different angle.
Black Barbie: A Documentary Netflix Premiere
Though the project was shown to a small audience back in 2023, when it was still labeled as a work in progress, it's now complete and ready to top the Netflix charts. While Gerwig's Barbie may still be on everyone's lips, the new look at the history of Mattel's dolls may have some serious competition.
As the full title suggests, Black Barbie differs from the 2023 film in that it's a documentary. It delves into the story behind Mattel's first black Barbie that ended up in stores. It focuses on the story of Beulah Mae Mitchell, a woman who worked at Mattel for 45 years and struggled to make her voice heard among many others.
The first release of a Black Barbie in the 1980s became an international phenomenon, with many women and girls finding a new way to identify with the doll and find their own voice through the imaginative scenarios in their heads. Black Barbie: A Documentary chronicles everything from the idea of creating the doll to its overwhelming impact.
Though it has yet to be released to the masses, Black Barbie already has 17 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, accumulating to an excellent 100% rating. Critics agree that while the documentary, written and directed by Lagueria Davis and produced by Shonda Rhimes, among others, isn't perfect, it's a must-see piece of pop culture media.
The film has been making the rounds at various festivals over the past year, and now it will be premiering on Netflix for the world to see. Be sure to get your account ready and tune in to Netflix on June 19 for an in-depth look at the often overlooked history of Barbie.