BlackBerry is an upcoming biographical drama that will focus on the rise and eventual fall of the BlackBerry mobile phone line-up. The film is directed by Matthew Johnson and written by him and Matthew Miller. The premise of the film everywhere is as simple as, The story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone. The biographical drama stars Glenn Howerton and Cary Elwes in primary roles. From the inception of the film, the venture has been gathering some hype given the topical premise. One day before the release of the film, its ratings and reviews are out and it seems like critics are overwhelmed by this comedy drama. So much so that many have drawn comparisons to David Fincher’s Social Network and surprisingly the Rotten Tomatoes score of BlackBerry beats the score of the Fincher directorial just by a smidge.
BlackBerry Movie Has Worldwide Critical Acclaim!
The BlackBerry biopic has been lauded by critics all over the world. The film has debuted with a 98% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes which is even more than David Fincher’s Social Network which has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%. It has to be noted that Social Network is widely considered to be Fincher’s best movie and he, one of the best Directors of this generation. Considering the similar material of both films this comparison makes sense. Check out some of the BlackBerry reviews:
Kyle Smith (Wall Street Journal) – “BlackBerry is a biography of a once-great business that is fascinating enough on its own terms without being reshaped to fit a narrative formula.”
Matt Zoller Seitz (RogerEbert.com) – “BlackBerry” is a MoneyBro movie par excellence, right up there with “Wall Street,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Boiler Room,” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Original Score: 3.5/4
Leonard Maltin (leonardmaltin.com) – “‘BlackBerry’ has a great cast that contributes to the impact of this true-to-life tale, reminding us that truth remains stranger than fiction.”
Thelma Adams (AARP Movies for Grownups) – “The human-scaled case study illustrates the enormous potential of human creations, and capitalism’s tendency to maximize profit at the expense of innovation.” Original Score: 4/5
Bilge Ebiri (New York Magazine/Vulture) – “The film’s charm is that it doesn’t take itself seriously at all. BlackBerry is more Office Space than Social Network.”
Ty Burr (Ty Burr’s Watch List) – “If the movie has a hidden message, it’s to stay true to the personality you were born with.” Original Score: 3.5/4
Peter Travers (ABC News) – “A fab cast led by Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton tells the sad but true story of the flame-out of the world’s first smartphone and the manchildren who created it. This raucous workplace comedy (think The Office) puts an unexpected lump in your throat.”
Nell Minow (Movie Mom)
“Howerton is on fire as Balsille. We can see in his posture and in every gesture the fury that fuels him.” Original Score: B+
Adam Graham (Detroit News) – “… A deliriously entertaining story of tech, hubris and swimming with sharks. It’s all fun and games until the water starts running red.”
Johnny Oleksinski (New York Post) – “A geeky good time — a “Revenge of the Nerds” without college sex jokes but with billions of dollars at stake and a groundbreaking invention that still affects much of the planet every day.” Original Score: 3/4
David Sims (The Atlantic) – “BlackBerry is one of the best business biopics I’ve seen, because it’s fueled by that skepticism; it’s a roller coaster that viewers can enjoy riding all the way up, but it’s not afraid to question its own climax the whole way down.”
Jeannette Catsoulis (New York Times) – “A tale of scrabbling toward success that tempers its humor with an oddly moving wistfulness.”
Bill Goodykoontz (Arizona Republic) – “In many ways “BlackBerry” is the standard-fare cautionary tale of tech start-ups. Insert your Icarus metaphors here. But there is a kind of sweetness to the film that makes it more compelling than the typical rise, crash and burn movie.” Original Score: 4/5
Peter Howell (Toronto Star) – “A new career peak for Johnson, who has played with the documentary form in his splendid previous films, “The Dirties” and “Operation Avalanche.” Original Score: 3.5/4
Randy Myers (San Jose Mercury News) – “Filled with great period details and told in a docudrama-like way, BlackBerry is simply irresistible.” Original Score: 3.5/4
Mick LaSalle (San Francisco Chronicle) – ““BlackBerry” justifies its existence as a feature film by being more entertaining than a documentary would be on the same subject.” Original Score: 3/4
Ann Hornadayn(Washington Post) – “Appealing combination of antic comedy and wistful moral comeuppance.” Original Score: 3/4
Anthony Lane (New Yorker) – “One can imagine the film being screened for M.B.A. students as a cautionary tale—frequently very funny, but often disheartening, too.”
Brian Tallerico (RogerEbert.com) – “A smart movie about smart people who were destroyed by a dumb system that eats people like Mike Lazaridis alive.”
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.”
BlackBerry is slated to release in theatres on 12th May 2023 in Canada.
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