“Do I get one of those?” 

It was the first thing I asked in a job interview in the telecom industry as the “Blackberry”–the world’s first smartphone–was sneaking into the marketplace (sorry, no user ever capitalized the second B).  Once I had it, it changed doing business forever, and the same thing happened for everyone.  The Research in Motion (RIM) wireless device would begin its incarnation more like a pager but would grow into a fantastic device that would expand its features before the advent of the polished iPhones and Androids that would replace it in the ongoing battle for the next big thing in tech.  I had nearly every major version (two still work just like new, unlike the Androids that must be replaced every few years).

Just as it’s revealed in this trailer for the new film BlackBerry, typing with your thumbs is much easier than we all first thought.  Directed by Canadian Matt Johnson and starring Fanboys and RoboCop’s Jay Baruchel as founder Mike Lazaridis (who would go on to invent tech for film editing that would earn him an Academy Award), BlackBerry documents his efforts to take his wireless technology forward.  The indie film co-stars Serenity and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Glenn Howerton, plus a powerhouse of favorite supporting actors, including Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek, and Michael Ironside.  Will this be an awards contender next year?

Check out this trailer for BlackBerry:

It looks sufficiently dated like Apollo 13 and a lot like the documentaries on Lucasfilm (like Light & Magic and Elstree 1976) and Atari (like Atari: Game Over and High Score)–and every dot com start-up I worked for in the 1990s.  The movie is based on Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff.

Look for BlackBerry in theaters April 28, 2023, with a likely streaming option (possibly via Paramount Plus since the parent company has a distribution role) soon after.

C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg