--- title: "BlackBerry: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/blackberry/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/blackberry" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 26 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # BlackBerry (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 26 reviews: 21 positive, 5 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics find BlackBerry an entertaining, often funny account of corporate ambition going wrong, with praise concentrated on its performances. Glenn Howerton’s tightly wound Jim Balsillie is the recurring favourite, while Jay Baruchel and Matt Johnson earn credit for the warmth and comic energy around him. The reviews also value Johnson’s scrappy direction and the attention paid to the inventors’ enthusiasm, which gives the business story a human cost. The spread runs from enthusiastic to mixed, with no outright negative verdicts. Reservations concern uneven storytelling, uncertain tone and a second half that loses focus. The Hollywood Reporter finds the workplace comedy more convincing than the corporate thriller, while Little White Lies questions how much stays with us afterwards. The rough style divides opinion too: Empire notes stylistic drawbacks, whereas Eye for Film praises the editing and images for making the frantic invention process and the characters’ instability tangible. ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2023. Festival review. The critic finds the film hugely entertaining and bittersweet, while noting its sobering point about how quickly cultural obsessions become obsolete. Glenn Howerton’s performance as Jim Balsillie is singled out as outstanding. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/blackberry-this-biting-tech-world-satire-reminds-us-that-we-all-might-be-dinosaurs-waiting) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Rating Critics Pick. 17 February 2023. Debruge finds the film a fresh, entertaining satire of the rise and fall of BlackBerry. He singles out Glenn Howerton’s ferocious performance as the standout in a terrific ensemble. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/blackberry-review-glenn-howerton-jay-baruchel-1235525577/) ## IndieWire — Steph Green Rating B+. 17 February 2023. Festival review. Green praises the film as a funny, sharp take on corporate hubris that avoids becoming mean-spirited. She singles out Matt Johnson’s zany direction and comic style as what lifts the story beyond a straightforward account of the phone’s rise and fall. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/blackberry-review-matt-johnson-1234811136/) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 3/4/3. 4 October 2023. Strong finds the film entertaining but says it lacks staying power. She singles out Glenn Howerton’s performance as its standout, praising his portrayal of the bullish Jim Balsillie. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/blackberry) ## Radio Times — Max Copeman Rating 4/5. The critic finds the true-life rise and fall of BlackBerry compellingly chronicled. The film’s account of the company’s rapid ascent and decline is singled out as especially compelling. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-jpm9bi/blackberry/) ## The Guardian — Wendy Ide Rating 4/5. 8 October 2023. Ide finds the film an intriguing, energetic account of corporate failure that refreshingly avoids the usual success-story arc. She particularly praises Glenn Howerton’s tightly wound performance as Jim Balsillie. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/oct/08/blackberry-review-smartphone-buy-opic-is-a-wild-ride) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 12 September 2023. The review calls the film a rollicking Silicon Valley satire. It singles out Glenn Howerton’s performance as Oscar-worthy. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/blackberry-2023) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 76/100 (inferred from the text). 11 May 2023. Walsh finds the film a compelling portrait of a company undone by its own shortcuts and shady deals. She especially praises Glenn Howerton’s dazzling, charismatic performance as Jim Balsillie. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-05-11/review-a-frenetic-take-on-the-crash-and-burn-trajectory-of-the-iconic-blackberry) ## Empire — Beth Webb Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 2023. The review finds the film succeeds through its heart, humour, and comic performances, despite some stylistic drawbacks. It especially praises Glenn Howerton’s magnetic, ferocious performance as Jim Balsillie. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/blackberry/) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Barsanti Rating 3/4. 20 February 2023. Festival review. Barsanti finds the film a rollicking, character-focused comedy that succeeds by keeping its tech-world story grounded. He particularly praises the cast, singling out Glenn Howerton’s blistering rage and Matt Johnson’s comedic performance. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/blackberry-review-jay-baruchel-glenn-howerton/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 May 2023. Lane finds the film funny, disheartening, and oddly touching, valuing its account of success turning sour. He singles out the awkward, committed inventors and their joy in building the device. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/05/15/blackberry-movie-review-chile-76) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 May 2023. Ebiri finds BlackBerry entertaining and charming, with its loose comic approach making its historical simplifications work. He especially praises the comic energy among Howerton, Baruchel, and Johnson. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-jay-baruchel-and-glenn-howerton-in-blackberry.html) ## The AV Club — Brent Simon Fi1m's normalised score 72/100 (inferred from the text). 9 May 2023. The critic finds the film entertaining and engaging, though it misses some opportunities to land its characters’ fates. He particularly praises Glenn Howerton’s mesmerizing, icy performance as Jim Balsillie. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/blackberry-movie-review-jay-baruchel-1850419043) ## Screen Daily — Lee Marshall Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2023. Festival review. The standfirst presents the film as a high-energy ride through the rise and fall of the first smartphone. It singles out that rise-and-fall trajectory, but the review’s full verdict is unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/blackberry-berlin-review/5179305.article) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2023. Festival review. Rooney finds the film uneven but likable, with its workplace comedy more successful than its corporate-thriller descent. He praises the enjoyable character work of Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton, while faulting the haphazard storytelling and missed dramatic momentum. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/blackberry-review-jay-baruchel-glenn-howerton-1235328578/) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 11 May 2023. The accessible page does not expose the critic’s verdict. It also provides no praise or complaint to summarize. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/movies/blackberry-review.html) ## Total Film — Neil Smith Rating 3/5. 4 October 2023. Smith finds the film lively and entertaining, though its narrative loses focus in the second half. He particularly praises Glenn Howerton’s volatile performance as Jim Balsillie. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/blackberry-review/) ## Collider — Marco Vito Oddo Rating A. 17 February 2023. Festival review. The critic finds the docudrama thrilling, moving, and highly entertaining. They especially praise Doug as the film’s emotional heart and a reminder of the values lost in the company’s pursuit of success. [Read the review](https://collider.com/blackberry-movie-review-jay-baruchel/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2023. Festival review. Hammond finds the film highly entertaining and ultimately tragic, presenting it as both an underdog story and a cautionary tale. He especially praises Glenn Howerton’s dynamic performance as the forceful businessman Jim Balsillie. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/05/blackberry-berlin-film-festival-review-biopic-of-smartphone-1235263514/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2023. Festival review. Kermode finds the film energetic and incisive, with director Matt Johnson keeping its chaotic story coherent. She especially praises the editing and visual style for conveying the characters’ instability and the frantic process of invention. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/blackberry-2023-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## /Film — Rafael Motamayor Rating 8/10. 16 March 2023. Festival review. Motamayor finds the film entertaining and often hilarious, praising its lively treatment of the company’s rise and fall. He especially singles out Glenn Howerton’s deranged, forceful performance as Jim Balsillie. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1230407/blackberry-review-the-social-network-by-way-of-mike-judges-silicon-valley-sxsw-2023/) ## Paste — Dom Sinacola Rating 7.9/10. 12 May 2023. Sinacola praises the film as a hilarious, messy alternative to polished biopics, with Glenn Howerton’s volcanic performance as Jim Balsillie at its center. He also singles out Jay Baruchel’s empathetic portrayal of Mike Lazaridis and the film’s scrappy aesthetic. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/matt-johnson/blackberry-review) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2023. Festival review. The critic finds the film an engaging, well-paced seriocomic cautionary tale, though it runs unnecessarily long. They praise the performances of Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton for capturing the protagonists’ contrasting personalities. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/blackberry-review-berlin-2023/) ## Consequence — Liz Shannon Miller Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 May 2023. The critic finds BlackBerry an effective, blunt portrait of the company’s rise and fall. She praises how the film makes its technical innovations understandable and Mike Lazaridis’s eventual obsolescence tragic. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2023/05/blackberry-review-glenn-howerton-jay-baruchel/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The headline presents the film as a boisterous, underdog-focused account of BlackBerry’s rise and fall. It singles out that underdog spirit as the review’s central appeal. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/blackberry-review-matt-johnsons-chronicling-of-the-rise-downfall-of-the-blackberry-is-a-boisterous-ode-to-the-underdog-berlin-20230217/) ## The Skinny — Carmen Paddock Rating ★★★. 8 March 2023. Festival review. The review finds the film offbeat and ultimately engaging, though it takes too long to find its groove. It praises the performances but faults the blurred tone and the film’s overreliance on hindsight. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/blackberry) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/blackberry.md