BlackBerry: parents' guide
Best for ages 15 and up. Rated R for language throughout.
A fast, funny and tense business comedy-drama about the rise and fall of the BlackBerry phone, best for teens 15 and up who can handle nonstop swearing. A shy engineer and his friends team up with a ruthless businessman to build the first popular smartphone, then struggle when the iPhone arrives. There is no sex or real violence, just a few crude jokes, including a cartoon of a man's oversized testicles, and drinking is limited to adults. The issue is language: a hot-tempered executive and others swear constantly, mostly with f-words, often while screaming. That language is the main reason for the R and our age of 15.
What's in it
Violence
MildNo fights between people. Characters bang desks and smash objects in fits of temper, and a man is shot in a brief clip from an 80s action movie playing on a screen.
Language
StrongStrong language throughout, especially from a hot-tempered executive: frequent f-words, often shouted, plus s-words and goddamn. Reviewers describe it as constant, though no source gave an exact count.
Sex and nudity
MildNo sex scenes, real nudity or romance. A few comic lines refer to masturbation, and a brief cartoon sketch shows a man with huge testicles hanging out of his pants.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
MildAdults drink in a few scenes, socially and at work gatherings. No drug use or drunkenness was reported.
Scary or intense scenes
NoneNothing scary. The tension comes from deadlines, a hostile takeover attempt, a federal investigation and a company falling apart.
Worth talking about
The founders are brilliant engineers but make choices that cost them later. When does pushing hard to win cross the line into cutting corners?
On our lists
Similar picks around 15+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, moviemom.com, Wikipedia, bbfc.co.uk. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.