BlackBerry

2023

Matt Johnson

Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson, Cary Elwes ...

6.5

2,775

Drama. Comedy

Drama. Comedy

Two mismatched entrepreneurs –egghead innovator Mike Lazaridis and cut-throat businessman Jim Balsillie– joined forces in an endeavour that was to become a worldwide hit in little more than a decade. The device that one of them invented and the other sold was the BlackBerry, an addictive mobile phone that changed the way the world worked, played and communicated. But just as BlackBerry was rising to new peaks, it also started losing its ... [+]

	Media	Author	Review
		Steph Green IndieWire	"The kind of mid-budget marvel that doesn't seem to come around often anymore (...) A rather fascinating story that we didn't even know we would be interested in"
		Lee Marshall Screendaily	"Engaging, hi-energy rampage through the boom and bust of the Canadian tech company behind the device (...) A kind of breathless tech fever dream"
		Brian Tallerico rogerebert.com	"A smart movie about smart people who were destroyed by a dumb system that eats people like Mike Lazaridis alive"
		David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"Uneven but reasonably entertaining"
		Pete Hammond Deadline	"Who knew a Canadian biopic of an infamous smartphone could be this entertaining, even poignant and moving? 'BlackBerry' is all that and more"
		Marco Vito Oddo Collider	"[It] pushes the boundaries of a docudrama by adding fun, surprise, and exciting the dramatization of a dense true history. And in doing so, Johnson makes a complex matter easy to digest and extremely entertaining"
		Rafaela Sales Ross The Playlist	"It is a loving — and highly entertaining — ode to the outcasts who dream of nothing more than a life filled with fixing whirring gadgets and afternoons spent in “Star Trek” matinees"
		Peter Debruge Variety	"The film, at least, feels fresh, making geek history more entertaining than it has any right to be"
		Kurt Halfyard Screen Anarchy	"One of the most satisfying aspects from this wildly entertaining movie, is the density and attention to detail of its chaotic production design (...) 'Blackberry' is not simply 'good enough'. It is a legend"
		Barry Hertz The Globe and Mail	"A riotous, fiery kind of comedy whose subterfuge is so subtly stage-managed that you don't see the cans of gas fuelling the flames higher and higher"
		Chris Barsanti Slant	"The film wins big by going small (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"Hilarity and pathos intertwine in this likable comedy (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Phil de Semlyen Time Out	"An Oscar-worthy Glenn Howarton turbocharges the whole thing with volcanic rage (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Beth Webb Empire	"The film really shines thanks to Howerton, whose towering, shark-like performance makes him a villain for the ages (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Joel Keller Decider	"Despite playing the story for more laughs than are probably necessary, the lead performances of 'BlackBerry' are very watchable, and the story of the brand’s rise and demise is certainly one worth watching"
		Rory O'Connor The Film Stage	"There's a warm, analogue feel in ['BlackBerry']'s early stages (...) The film's color palette fades. So too does its sense of fun"
		David Crow Den of Geek	"'BlackBerry' avoids the period piece kitsch that most movies about the recent past fetishize, instead relying on the timelessness of a conflict where incongruent wills can sometimes create fleeting greatness"
		Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"This is one of those whip-smart, character- and story-driven gems that grabs you from the start and never lets go (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Chris Bumbray JoBlo	"The people behind 'BlackBerry' have done an excellent job evoking the era, with Johnson including a terrific soundtrack of tunes from the period, and almost documentary-like attention to detail"
		Graeme Guttmann Screen Rant	"[It] bites off a bit more than it can chew, but it's still a good time (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 5)"
		Brent Simon AV Club	"Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton deliver engaging performances in this entertaining tale about the rise and fall of a smartphone pioneer"
		Kristy Puchko Mashable	"While not amid this year's most gut-busting comedies, 'BlackBerry' manages to find the humor in the heartbreak of this true tale, delivering an ending that is simple yet satisfying"
		Ann Hornaday The Washington Post	"A funny, insightful corporate biopic (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune	"Here’s how you make a ripping docudrama out of a product launch (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Katie Walsh Los Angeles Times	"A compelling portrait of a company that flew too close to the sun"
		Josh Bell CBR	"There's nothing particularly incisive about the satire, and there are no insights about the people involved in such a spectacular failure"

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