‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ Review: Naomi Ackie Shines in Kasi Lemmons’ Lovingly Made Biopic
A joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, one of the greatest female R&B pop vocalists of all time, tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
has all the usual musical biopic moments, including the medley showing her racking up one No. 1 hit after another, moving into an outlandishly oversized mansion, singing in front of adoring crowds, etc.
Audiences know how this story ends; however, the tasteful way it plays out on screen will still leave audiences shaking their heads at the tragedy of it all. Understandably, creative choices are made that shift the focus of the finale away from the grim reality of Houston’s demise to a more celebratory tone that will leave the audience satisfied and brimming with emotion.
Discovered by record executive Clive Davis, Whitney Houston rises from obscurity to international fame in the 1980s to become one of the greatest singers of her generation.
Details
| Directed by | Kasi Lemmons |
| Written by | Anthony McCarten |
| Produced by | Denis O’Sullivan Jeff Kalligheri Anthony McCarten Pat Houston Clive Davis Larry Mestel Molly Smith Thad Luckinbill Trent Luckinbill Matt Jackson Christina Papagjika Matthew Salloway |
| Starring | Naomi Ackie Stanley Tucci Ashton Sanders Tamara Tunie Nafessa Williams Clarke Peters Cinematography Barry Ackroyd |
| Edited by | Daysha Broadway |
| Music by | Whitney Houston |
| Production companies | TriStar Pictures Compelling Pictures Black Label Media Primary Wave Entertainment Muse of Fire Productions West Madison Entertainment TSG Entertainment II |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Countries | United States, New Zealand |
| Language | English |
| Running | 146 minutes |
| Budget | $45 million |
| Release date | December 23, 2022 |