Netflix has recently added a biopic that movie fans are bound to love. The film, even though it has amazing reviews from critics, was largely overlooked when it was initially released in 2023. However, it now gets a second shot at glory as it joins the array of films in Netflix’s catalogue. The streaming service has made a number of shows and films available to its UK subscribers recently, including original titles and films that were first released in cinemas years ago.
Among those titles recently added to Netflix is BlackBerry, which has an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%. The film was added to Netflix UK on July 19th, so many fans haven’t had a chance to watch it yet. However, because of its impressive reviews, many subscribers may well fall in love with this film, which is based on true events. As the name suggests, BlackBerry follows the story of Mike Lazaridis and his best friend, Douglas Fregin, as they attempt to revolutionise the communications industry with the world’s first smartphone.
The story isn’t as straightforward as people might think, as the duo face several hurdles in trying to get this revolutionary piece of technology on the market.
The film was loved by both critics and audiences, with a 97 % score from critics and a 94 % score from casual viewers. One audience member said of the flick: “I didn’t have high expectations for BlackBerry, and I was pleasantly surprised. The story of this iconic company’s downfall turned out to be far more interesting and entertaining than I imagined, showcasing not just the business failure but also the personal dynamics and poor decisions that led them there.”
Another said: “Tech-y movie about a super iconic product lock in a time period of the 90’s. Well acted, well written, and pretty entertaining. An easy add to your collection.”
A fourth commented: “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 a star shy from 5 stars because I wished they would have made a longer movie about the story. I would’ve watched it for 4 hours.”
BlackBerry stars Glenn Howerton, Jay Baruchel and Matthew Johnson. Its cast doesn’t include many bog Hollywood hitters, which may have been a contributing factor for it flying largely under the radar.
When it comes to what critics think of the film, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. One critic said: “Giving the turbulent tale of one of America’s first smartphone’s rise and fall an appropriately rollicking biopic, Matt Johnson transforms what could’ve been a dry visual representation of a Wikipedia article into a mini tech epic.”
Another wrote: “Stories about American entrepreneurs are as old and fraudulent as our stories about discovery and the frontier—but BlackBerry has no such love for the corporate ethos.”