BlackBerry (2023)

BlackBerry (2023)

A darkly comic look at the rise and fall of the tech innovation and status symbol that was the Blackberry

7.2

Movie

Canada, Finland
English
Comedy, Drama, History
2023
MATT JOHNSON
Al Bernstein, Ben Petrie, Cary Elwes
119 min

What it's about

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 story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.

The take

Unlike other films about great inventions of a bygone era, BlackBerry isn’t nostalgic nor sentimental in the least bit. Instead, it’s chilly, calculating, and surprisingly comic (it has to be, with comedians Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton as leads). And it’s less about the brilliance of this one product than the cycle of greed, corruption, and vanity that eventually traps its too-ambitious creators. 

It's a smart film that refuses to dumb down the tech and business side of things, and what it lacks in characterization (there is little to no backstory to be found), it more than makes up for in drama and a superb pace, which propulsively and practically brings you to its wonderful peak and bleak end. Equipped with a no-nonsense yet thrilling approach to facts, BlackBerry is a refreshing entry into the biopic genre.

Comments

Add a comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Parting Glances (1986)

An honest, domestic depiction of AIDS and the Manhattan gay community

7.3

Pathfinder (1987)

The sole survivor of a family massacre saves his entire tribe in the first ever film depicting the Sámi people

7.0

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Falling in Love Like in Movies (2023)

A contemplative Indonesian romance film that rewrites and re-examines the genre’s conventions

8.4

What Jennifer Did (2024)

A bare minimum coverage of the Jennifer Pan case

5.5

The Beautiful Game (2024)

A heartwarming lesson in belonging and humility following the sports movie formula

7.0

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal (2024)

WWE’s best effort to pay tribute to Windham “Bray Wyatt” Rotunda

8.5

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.