BlackBerry is a comedic docu-drama that tells the story of the creation and destruction of the BlackBerry mobile phone. The iconic smartphone, developed by co-founders Douglas Fregin and Mike Lazaridis, and investor Jim Balsillie, introduced business email to handheld devices.
The movie is loosely adapted from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book, Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry. It traces the story of Research in Motion (RIM) from its early days in Waterloo, Ontario, through the global success of the BlackBerry phone, and ultimately to the company’s struggles in the face of emerging competition.
While the film takes creative liberties, it captures the essence of the BlackBerry journey, highlighting the visionary efforts of its creators and the challenges they faced in a rapidly evolving tech industry.
The movie stars Emmy winner Jay Baruchel (FUBAR, This is the End, and the voice of Hiccup in the How to Train Your Dragon films), Glenn Howerton (A.P. Bio, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and Matt Johnson, who also wrote and directed.
BlackBerry wasn’t just a mobile communication player, it was a pioneer. The innovative push email service, which delivered emails instantly unlike anything else at the time, revolutionised how people, especially business professionals, used mobile devices. Its focus on security and productivity features led to widespread adoption by businesses.
Its position was solidified by then wildly popular instant messaging system, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), which helped BlackBerry to a dominant position in the smartphone market, controlling roughly 20% of the global share at its peak.
Its success was reflected in a soaring stock price, solidifying its position as a major tech leader. However, the arrival of Apple’s iPhone and the rise of Android smartphones a year later slowly and then suddenly shifted the landscape. These new devices offered touchscreen interfaces and a wider variety of applications, areas where BlackBerry struggled to compete. As a result, BlackBerry’s market share and influence began a dramatic decline.
The movie, which tells the human story behind a technology revolution, began screening on Showmax yesterday (18 July 2024).
