Werner Herzog reacts to Barbie in a way only he can: “Sheer hell as close as it gets”

Whether you love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Barbie was the biggest movie of the year, but what did Werner Herzog think of the film?

When asked by Piers Morgan if he was more of an Oppenheimer fan or a Barbie fan, Werner Herzog said he had only watched the first thirty minutes of Barbie, but had a rather unique assessment. “I have not seen Oppenheimer yet, but with Barbie, I managed to see the first half hour. I wanted to watch it because I was curious, and I still don’t have an answer, but I have a suspicion,” Herzog said. “Could it be that the world of Barbie is sheer hell? For a movie ticket, as an audience, you can witness sheer hell as close as it gets.” The director did add that he plans to watch the whole thing, so we’ll see if “I’m Just Ken” changes his mind. Also, Herzog may have just been commenting that living in the movie’s vision of Barbie Land would be “sheer hell,” and not offering a critique of the movie itself.

While some filmmakers haven’t known quite what to make of Barbie, others, such as Taxi Driver’s Paul Schrader, have declared the film a “wonder.” Halloween‘s John Carpenter admitted that he was left perplexed by Barbie. “I watched ‘Barbie’. I can’t believe I watched ‘Barbie.’ It’s just not my generation,” Carpenter said. “I had nothing to do with Barbie dolls. I didn’t know who Allan was. I mean, I can sum it up. She says, ‘I don’t have a vagina,’ and then at the end, ‘I’m going to go to a gynecologist!’ That’s the movie to me. I mean, there’s a patriarchy business in there, but I missed that whole thing. Right over my head. But I think she’s fabulous, Margot Robbie.“

Barbie has the chance to pick up some major awards at the upcoming 96th Academy Awards, where the film received nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Supporting Actress (America Ferrera), Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Original Song. The lack of Best Actress and Best Director nominations for Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig has outraged some, but you can’t win them all.