It’s always a good sign for a movie when critics and audiences alike can agree on the merits and entertainment value. It’s an even better sign when those two groups rate it a whopping 97% and 94%, respectively. And this underrated gem, which should have been more popular than The Social Network, is finally available to stream after being added to Netflix just a few days ago.
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BlackBerry, an elite dramedy that plays out like a tech-flavored fever dream, debuted in 2023 and stars Jay Baruchel (How to Train Your Dragon) and Glen Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) in near-perfect performances. The film centers on Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, some of the minds behind the titular BlackBerry, documenting the rise and fall of the first true smartphone and the tense, terrifying underbelly of Silicon Valley and the tech craze when it was still in its infancy. It’s a biting look into the creation of the tech that would change all of our lives forever, and the people behind it.
BlackBerry Deserved Way More Hype Than it Got
It’s the kind of movie that will have you immediately pulling up Google to look into the life stories of everyone on the screen. And, while it might be expected that a movie documenting the creation and then failure of a smartphone might be boring, BlackBerry will absolutely prove you wrong. It doesn’t hurt that Howerton’s performance is a total powerhouse—intense, anxiety-inducing, and chaotic every single time he’s on screen. “The comedy comes instead from Johnson’s deliberate direction. It’s found in an ironic zoom here, a hilarious cut there. This alchemy finds the most magic in how it supports Glenn Howerton’s towering performance,” says critic Marya E. Gates.
And casual audiences also bought in, drawn in by the nerds-versus-suits aspect of the film. One viewer said, “The film starts out as a very funny comedy and ends as a very sad tragedy. It is rare that a film can bridge two wildly different tones this effectively.” Another added, “This is one of those hidden gems. It’s very well produced, actors and actresses are great, so I really don’t know why I didn’t hear about this movie before. Please watch it. Half star shy from 5 stars cause I wished they would have made a longer movie about the story.”
Overall, BlackBerry is that rare biopic that’s entertaining from start to finish. And while it may not be entirely accurate to the real-life story, the performances and chemistry therein make that fact easy to gloss over, strapping the audience in for a wild ride about a subject they never expected to find all that entertaining.
Do you have a favorite moment from BlackBerry? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to keep the conversation going.
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Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures -
image courtesy of Studio Ghibli
