A company that toppled global giants before succumbing to the ruthlessly competitive forces of Silicon Valley. This is not a conventional tale of modern business failure by fraud and greed. The rise and fall of BlackBerry reveals the dangerous speed at which innovators race along the information superhighway.
Where to Watch BlackBerry
- ArrXBanditJuly 31, 2026Absolutely love this movie. I've rewatched in several times. Glenn Howerton kills this role. The job I worked at when I was in my early 20's was during the BlackBerry/Palm era and we sold accessories and parts for those devices. Incredible story and great performances from all actors. A must watch if you're at all into tech!
- PaulJuly 25, 2026A fast, bleakly funny, and utterly relentless look at the rise and catastrophic fall of the smartphone pioneer. Let’s be clear: the film takes massive artistic licence with the truth. Jim Balsillie wasn't just an unhinged, phone-smashing corporate psycho, and Mike Lazaridis wasn't a timid, push-over nerd. But if you accept that director Matt Johnson tuned every personality up to 11 to roast tech hubris, it’s an absolute riot. Glenn Howerton is a force of nature as Balsillie, bringing pure Dennis Reynolds rage to the corporate boardroom, while Jay Baruchel grounds the slow tragicomedy of a company that owned nearly half the global market, only to be wiped out because they stubbornly refused to let go of physical keyboards. Fast-paced, zero fluff, and wildly entertaining, provided you treat it as a brilliant piece of satirical storytelling rather than a strict documentary. Highly recommended.
- StevedoresDecember 17, 2025Prime Matt Johnson.
- wonderrxjrJuly 24, 2026Wow this was great to learn about. Jay Baruchel, thank you for being Canadian so you could be in this superb. Super cool to see Matt Johnson do something serious even though I laughed any second he was on screen
- Kevin WardJuly 2, 2025I’m not as nostalgic for Blackberry as I am say, Tetris, or Air Jordan’s. I never owned a Blackberry. But damn, this movie is really good. Jay Baruchel and Glen Howerton both kill in this. I mean, it’s absolutely perfect casting, but they also happen to be really good. It doesn’t rely on nostalgia to hit the emotional punches either. Yes, there are a couple needle drops from the era and a film-grain montage (was video still grainy in 2003?), but above all it’s a fascinating story. One of the best films of the year, I’ll probably rewatch it again with my wife soon. Holy crap, I did NOT recognize Michael Ironside though.
- Robert OHaraJune 28, 2026Strong opening and middle, weak last act.
- GuyApril 25, 2026In the pantheon of modern technological casualties, few artifacts evoke the highly specific mixture of early-aughts nostalgia and tragic corporate irony quite like the BlackBerry. Director Matt Johnson’s 2023 film chronicles the meteoric ascent and catastrophic demise of Research In Motion (RIM), the Canadian company responsible for the world-changing device. It is a wildly compelling, occasionally frustrating, and profoundly educational docudrama that explores the fragile line between genius and irrelevance. A Masterclass in Character Dynamics At the beating heart of this cinematic autopsy are two wildly contrasting, perfectly calibrated performances that rank among the actor's absolute best. Jay Baruchel is a revelation as Mike Lazaridis, the brilliant but painfully awkward engineer who conceptualized the device. As RIM balloons into a multi-billion-dollar empire, Baruchel visually and emotionally hardens, showcasing a tragic decay of his initial ethical purity. Opposite him is Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, the ruthless shark who forces RIM into the corporate big leagues. Howerton channels terrifyingly effective corporate rage, breathing fire into sales pitches and dominating boardrooms. The dichotomy between Lazaridis’s meticulous engineering and Balsillie’s abrasive capitalism brilliantly anchors the narrative, giving the tech-heavy plot a deeply human pulse. Hubris and the Cost of Compromise The script is an undeniable triumph, translating complex tech jargon into an entertaining and highly accessible story. The writing is sharp, utilizing the company's trajectory to explore thought-provoking themes surrounding corporate hubris. BlackBerry functions as a modern Greek tragedy in oversized polo shirts. It meticulously details how the very traits that made RIM successful, stubbornness and blind aggression, became the exact traits that caused its downfall. The film offers stark lessons about the necessity of adaptation and the fragility of integrity. The erosion of Lazaridis’s principles, moving from a man who demanded absolute perfection to one willing to ship the faulty, rushed BlackBerry Storm just to combat the looming threat of the iPhone, is the film's central heartbreak. A Divisive Visual Aesthetic However, for all its thematic brilliance, the film makes stylistic choices that have heavily polarized its audience. Chief among these is the relentless use of shaky, handheld camerawork. Johnson shoots with frantic kineticism, constantly zooming in on faces and violently panning across rooms. While it successfully mimics the caffeinated, chaotic energy of a 1990s startup, many viewers find it undeniably grating, distracting, and irritating. Similarly, the mockumentary-lite style and eccentric character portrayals, particularly Johnson’s own turn as eccentric co-founder Doug Fregin, can feel disjointed. The film sometimes awkwardly straddles the line between a serious historical drama and a workplace comedy, which can feel jarring given the massive financial stakes at play. The Final Verdict Despite these stylistic divisions, the film's momentum is undeniable. The fast-paced storytelling keeps viewers hooked from the first keystroke to the devastating final act. The editing is razor-sharp, condensing over a decade into a sleek, breathless thriller that rarely drags. Ultimately, BlackBerry stands as a fascinating, deeply flawed, yet brilliant cautionary tale: a stark reminder that in the fast-moving world of technology, the moment you stop innovating is the moment you become obsolete.
- M08YMay 26, 2026BlackBerry is a fairly decent little film that doesn't overstay it's welcome. I had a reasonably good time watching BlackBerry. It's not particularly clever, dramatic or accurate but it's an easy watch. The cast feels mostly forgettable with only the 2 leads being even remotely memorable. Jay Baruchel puts in a good performance but gets slightly overshadowed by the explosive and volatile Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie. Knowing how the film ends does take some of the excitement out of it. The fall of BlackBerry is legendary and I'm not entirely convinced that this film does it justice. The audio/visuals are absolutely fine, nothing fancy is attempted and therefore nothing really fails.
- PapaHamzehApril 30, 2026I would say dont let the 3.5 stars dissuade you from watching this. Its a good movie. Its worst sin is being a movie we have all seen before, just about something we dont know too much about. And thats ok. Not every movie needs to be masterwork. I think Matt may be stronger behind the camera and he should stay. But he wasnt bad! Just fine. I think Glenn Howerton did very well. And thats really all there is to say!
- rahssan44April 8, 2026A great movie about the rise and fall of Blackberry and Research In Motion. It shows how a once dominant company can fade away and become a memory in the business world.
- SpaddassinJanuary 9, 2026Good movie but sad storie...
- mickerdooNovember 26, 2025One of the better product bio pics out there. Howerton is a force and the story is really engaging. Doug was a great balancing character.
- SamNovember 18, 2025the second jay baruchel hair was a little rough but bald glenn was so good in this
- MichaelOctober 27, 2025I went in to this thinking it was just another biography but it turned out to be fantastic
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BlackBerry was released on May 11, 2023.
BlackBerry was directed by Matt Johnson.
BlackBerry has a runtime of 2h.
BlackBerry was produced by Niv Fichman, Kevin Krikst, Fraser Ash, Matthew Miller.
A company that toppled global giants before succumbing to the ruthlessly competitive forces of Silicon Valley. This is not a conventional tale of modern business failure by fraud and greed. The rise and fall of BlackBerry reveals the dangerous speed at which innovators race along the information superhighway.
The key characters in BlackBerry are Mike (Jay Baruchel), Jim (Glenn Howerton), Doug (Matt Johnson).
BlackBerry is rated R.
BlackBerry is a Biography, Drama, Comedy film.
BlackBerry has an audience rating of 9.4 out of 10.
BlackBerry had a budget of $5M.
BlackBerry has made $2.6M at the box office.