Ethan Johnson’s review published on Letterboxd:
Barbie (2023) gave me faith in humanity and then
Oppenheimer (2023) stripped it away.
Both of these films are the most important pictures from this generation, if not film history. This is a review for Oppenheimer (2023), but I could not begin without stating this. Oppenheimer (2023) is the best film Christopher Nolan has ever made. It’s also the most scarring and impactful—calling for change and change now. Nolan dives deep into the complicated psyche of J. Robert Oppenheimer, pushing moral juxtapositions into the limelight, forcing the audience to feel the gravity of each choice that was made, later showcasing the equal and opposite reaction to each of those choices. In an almost evil game of cause and effect, we are victim to the history that occurred (one I had little to no knowledge of). On all fronts, this film is a culmination of cinematic mastery from every person involved. It’s genius, it’s perfection—and I hated every second of it. I don’t mean that in a negative way, but in a way to express that this film has plunged me into a depressive anxious state and am radicalized against governmental nuclear powers. I honestly do not know what else to say except to see this film. It’s incredible to see filmmakers at the height of their cinematic art, working together to make something explosive, leaving you shellshocked in the process. There were so many moments where I simply had single tears streaming down my face out of pure horror, the ending one of the most impactful in cinema history, so much so that I was crying through the credits and fighting tears on the long walk home. In the discussion between which is superior, Oppenheimer (2023) or Barbie (2023), I choose neither. They are tied at the top spot of the year for me, spectacular pieces of cinema in their own work and right.
2023 Ranked
Nolan’s Films
10/10 Films
P.S. I’m floored. I wish I had more words to explain this but I can’t. Simply at a loss for words.
Ethan liked these reviews
All
' ].join(''); if ( adsScript && adsScript === 'bandsintown' && adsPlatforms && ((window.isIOS && adsPlatforms.indexOf("iOS") >= 0) || (window.isAndroid && adsPlatforms.indexOf("Android") >= 0)) && adsLocations && adsMode && ( (adsMode === 'include' && adsLocations.indexOf(window.adsLocation) >= 0) || (adsMode === 'exclude' && adsLocations.indexOf(window.adsLocation) == -1) ) ) { var opts = { artist: "", song: "", adunit_id: 100005950, div_id: "cf_async_01f57aa8-dd82-4bba-b944-023e4fdb2df9" }; adUnit.id = opts.div_id; if (target) { target.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', adUnit); } else { tag.insertAdjacentElement('afterend', adUnit); } var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//srv.tunefindforfans.com/fruits/apricots.js";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; } else { adUnit.id = 'pw-01f57aa8-dd82-4bba-b944-023e4fdb2df9'; adUnit.className = 'pw-div -tile300x250 -alignleft -bottommargin'; adUnit.setAttribute('data-pw-' + (renderMobile ? 'mobi' : 'desk'), 'med_rect_btf'); if (target) { target.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', adUnit); } else { tag.insertAdjacentElement('afterend', adUnit); } window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', (event) => { adUnit.insertAdjacentHTML('afterend', kicker); window.ramp.que.push(function () { window.ramp.addTag('pw-01f57aa8-dd82-4bba-b944-023e4fdb2df9'); }); }, { once: true }); } } tag.remove(); })(document.getElementById('script-01f57aa8-dd82-4bba-b944-023e4fdb2df9'));
' ].join(''); if ( adsScript && adsScript === 'bandsintown' && adsPlatforms && ((window.isIOS && adsPlatforms.indexOf("iOS") >= 0) || (window.isAndroid && adsPlatforms.indexOf("Android") >= 0)) && adsLocations && adsMode && ( (adsMode === 'include' && adsLocations.indexOf(window.adsLocation) >= 0) || (adsMode === 'exclude' && adsLocations.indexOf(window.adsLocation) == -1) ) ) { var opts = { artist: "", song: "", adunit_id: 100005950, div_id: "cf_async_8e349d57-e5fa-47f0-bbfb-a990fc883b0c" }; adUnit.id = opts.div_id; if (target) { target.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', adUnit); } else { tag.insertAdjacentElement('afterend', adUnit); } var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//srv.tunefindforfans.com/fruits/apricots.js";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; } else { adUnit.id = 'pw-8e349d57-e5fa-47f0-bbfb-a990fc883b0c'; adUnit.className = 'pw-div'; adUnit.setAttribute('data-pw-' + (renderMobile ? 'mobi' : 'desk'), 'sky_btf'); if (target) { target.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', adUnit); } else { tag.insertAdjacentElement('afterend', adUnit); } window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', (event) => { adUnit.insertAdjacentHTML('afterend', kicker); window.ramp.que.push(function () { window.ramp.addTag('pw-8e349d57-e5fa-47f0-bbfb-a990fc883b0c'); }); }, { once: true }); } } tag.remove(); })(document.getElementById('script-8e349d57-e5fa-47f0-bbfb-a990fc883b0c'));
