Which is the greater threat to humanity: Northern California or Southern California? That’s the urgent question raised by 2023’s great cinematic contest between “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie.” Sure, these are entertaining films about a physicist and a doll. But both movies are also global nightmares full of warnings about the damage that Northern and Southern California can do when we send our ideas out into the world. “Oppenheimer” is the ultimate Northern California nightmare.
