Fans watching Barbie claim they can 'hear moment atomic bomb goes off' in Oppenheimer

Barbie fans are reporting some unwelcome noise disturbance while in Barbieland.

And it’s not the sound of Will Ferrell and a loads of guys in suits showing up, but rather a bomb. More specifically, the Oppenheimer atomic bomb.

Yes, apparently the sound from Christopher Nolan’s movie is so loud it’s being heard by those watching Greta Gerwig’s new movie.

Both were released on Friday 21 July leading to what is now known as ‘Barbenheimer’ weekend as fans take in the double bill of bombs and barbs.

Oppenheimer tells the story of the American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) and his role in developing the atomic bomb which was used in World War II.

This earned him the title of the ‘father of the atomic bomb’.

Whereas Barbie is about, well, Barbie – at least on its surface anyway.

The doll (played by Margot Robbie) leaves Barbieland for the real world, on a journey of self-discovery facing patriarchy, existential crises and flat feet.

Either way, it’s a movie without bombs and weapons where the Kens instead fight by ‘beaching off’.

But cinemagoers are apparently actually able to hear the atomic bomb going off while they’re trying to immerse in the pink of Barbieland.

One user wrote on Twitter: “Barbie was so good! The best part was being able to hear the atomic bomb explode in the theatre next to ours during the emotional climax of the movie!”

Another claimed: “The mom in Barbie having a super emotional moment where she’s ranting about being a woman versus the atomic bomb test going off in the Oppenheimer theatre next door.”

Others also pointed: “I’ve seen a lot of tweets about hearing an atomic bomb from across the cinema while watching Barbie, but I think it’s much funnier to watch a man reckon with the destruction he wrought, while you hear the faint sound of Aqua from another screen.”

Someone else wrote: “I kid you not as soon as Barbie was over we stepped out and across all we hear if the f**kin atomic bomb exploding.”

And a final said: "Lmao I just heard the Oppenheimer bomb go off during the emotional climax of Barbie."

Without too many spoilers, the end of Barbie is arguably a little emotional so it would be excusable to leave the screen feeling a little sensitive or just generally in your feelings.

And hearing the noise of a big bomb at that point would be quite the shock to the system.

Barbie and Oppenheimer are in cinemas now.

Topics: Barbie, Film and TV, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Margot Robbie

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_