Academy Award nominees Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig create a profound partnership in the new and unforgettably-fresh feature Barbie, in theaters July 21. The Mattel-approved movie follows a “stereotypical” Barbie (Robbie) entering the “real” world, only to find that the reality for women does not quite line up with what the iconic doll brand has been selling for several decades.

The highly-anticipated movie is directed by Gerwig and co-written by her Oscar-nominated partner Noah Baumbach. It stars America Ferrera, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Rhea Perlman and Will Ferrell in supporting roles, with Helen Mirren serving as narrator. The soundtrack features pop staples like Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Haim and Billie Eilish. If you’re not sold yet (and you should be!), let’s get into details:

Audiences meet Barbie in what Gerwig calls an “authentically artificial” world, in which the iconic doll is queen and Ken (Gosling, Liu) serves merely as an accessory to her lovely lifestyle. To quote another iconic film about a doll coming to life, this Barbie can be anything she wants to be – it only depends on “what outfit she’s wearing.” She is a powerful symbol of femininity, with a dream house and convertible car to prove it. It’s when she suddenly starts to have deep thoughts about death and other life conundrums that this particular Barbie is forced to journey to the real world – and her discoveries about what it actually means to be a woman in modern society create the backbone for Gerwig’s best feature yet.

The director of Lady Bird and Little Women has already made a name for herself in creating characters who face an equal amount of hardships and beauty. But in Barbie, Oscar nominee Gerwig proves that she is an exemplary “realizer” of highly-stylized films tackling important topics. She and Robbie, who produced the film with her company Lucky Chap, are walking a delicate tightrope with this outstanding film: they managed to create a compelling, humorous and entertaining summer blockbuster, while also teaching a lesson about the strides that still need to be made in the seemingly-endless battle for gender equality. This big-budget feature captures the imagination of generations of children who created stories for their Barbies. It gives us credit for the worlds we created with our dolls: the belief that if they could be something more, then so could we. (Not unlike the generations of women who have gone to film school solely because of Gerwig’s success and talent.)

As the central “human” voice in Barbie, it is Ferrera who carries the weight of representing every woman in the movie-going audience. And, as she has for most of her career, dating back to Real Women Have Curves, Gotta Kick It Up and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, she does so beautifully. It is as much her film as it is Robbie’s, who beautifully portrays a doll’s transformation into something much deeper (alongside the very gifted and hilarious Gosling). 
Barbie is ultimately a challenging film to describe without giving away too much – it is a genuine movie-going experience, in the vein of classic films Gerwig undoubtedly reveres and references in this spectacular two-hour tribute to womanhood. It pokes fun at Barbie culture while also honoring its contributions to girls’ imaginations for half a century – not an easy feat, and one that will live long in the hearts of the women who see it this weekend.