From director Matt Johnson comes BlackBerry, a fictionalized story inspired by real people and events leading up to the uncharted success and ugly demise of the world’s first smartphone.

In the early 2000s, the BlackBerry was a symbol of status. Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton would carry their Swarovski-covered accessories to and from Hollywood’s most exclusive clubs, and teenage girls everywhere (*raises hand) subconsciously equated this bedazzled phone to power. A device that you could call, text, and check your email? It was a cultural revolution. Running 124 minutes long, we’re treated to revisionist history’s version of BlackBerry’s ripe rise and sour fall.

The year is 1996. Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) are on their way to pitch the latest invention born out of their small Canadian-run business, Research in Motion. The men are on a mission – a deal with a corporate big shot would mean financial security and technological advancements the world has never seen.

Unfortunately, their dreams seem even further out of reach after stumbling their way through the presentation for their “computer-in-a-phone” device in front of businessman Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton). Jim is a fast talker and brutally honest straight shooter and barely acknowledges the men, even as they speak directly to him. Jim has too much to do and too little time and he makes that known.

Deeming the pitch a disaster, Mike and Doug begin to feel the prongs of desperation grip their bodies. Everything changes when, after a moment of clarity, Jim returns with a counteroffer that would take the company and the device to the next level. What ensues is a Wolf of Wall Street-type ebb and flow of nerdy engineers who fell into an influx of cash and don’t know what to do with the newfound success.

Mike has always been the most level-headed of the group and keeps one foot rooted in reality but not Jim. If he’s not trying to buy a professional hockey team, he’s unethically trying to poach employees from competitive companies or letting personal grievances get in the way of the health of the company. The final nail in the coffin comes during Apple’s keynote address when Steve Jobs (using archived footage from a real event) introduces the world to the first iPhone. Game over.

Now, the reason why you should see this film: Glenn Howerton.

Director Matt Johnson, who also co-stars in the film, creates a thoroughly engaging, high-stakes comedic adaptation from his inspiration source: the book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of Blackberry”. BlackBerry is shot in a style that’s similar to The Office. It’s not a faux-documentary but the loose, handheld camerawork gives BlackBerry a breathy nature that contrasts the corporate world we’re living in. The film’s soundtrack further sets the mood and takes us down memory lane, with tracks from Joy Division, The White Stripes, and The Strokes to name a few.

Now, the reason why you should see this film: Glenn Howerton. His performance as a manic, loud-mouthed, egomaniac is entirely pitch-perfect and hilarious. His comedic fingerprints are all over this film in the best way possible; anyone acting alongside him is automatically elevated to his level. The energy that radiates from this film probably equates to a double shot of espresso.

BlackBerry was an official selection of the 2023 SXSW Film Festival and is distributed by IFC Films. If you ever wondered about the evolution of the smartphone and how it landed into the palms of people everywhere, or just looking for a smart, comedic gut punch, this is for you.

124 minutes. Opening in select theaters on Friday, May 12, 2023.