Name: Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Released: December 23, 2022
Rating: 51
Cast: Alana Monteiro, Ashton Sanders, Bria Danielle Singleton, Clarke Peters, Daniel Washington

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Owen Gleiberman

Dec 21, 2022

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” is the kind of lavishly impassioned all-stops-out biopic you either give into or you don’t — and if you do, you may find yourself getting so emotional, baby. Read full review

The Playlist Simon Thompson

Dec 21, 2022

A respectful, fitting, and far more honest account of what the artist nicknamed “The Voice” gave us, it’s a biopic that is up there with “Rocketman,” “Ray,” and “What’s Love Got to Do with It." Read full review

David Rooney

Dec 21, 2022

Critics will sniff, as they invariably do, about the familiar conventions of the music biopic. But the spirit of I Wanna Dance With Somebody transcends those conventions far more often than it gets weighed down by them. Anyone who loves Whitney Houston and her music will leave the film with that love reinforced — especially anyone who sees it in a theater with a wall-shaking sound system. Read full review

Clint Worthington

Dec 21, 2022

Houston’s magic as a performer was in her unpredictability; her voluminous range, the trailing vocal journey her famous runs took us on from note to note, measure to measure. When she (and Ackie) come alive on stage, Lemmons’ biopic soars with vibrating energy. It’s all the moments in between that grow ever more frustrating — the thin characterization, the flattening of her story into Behind the Music story beats, rushing from milestone to milestone without taking a breath. Read full review

Eric Henderson

Dec 22, 2022

There are only clichés in this rise-and-fall material, with the sole distinctive wrinkle being the weight given to the rise versus the fall. Read full review

Collider Chase Hutchinson

Dec 22, 2022

If written well and with the same care as its direction, this could have conveyed a sense of more genuine tragedy. Regrettably, for all the ways the performances try to eschew convention for a bit more substance, it is a losing battle from start to finish. Read full review

Mike Shutt

Dec 21, 2022

This is just another run-of-the-mill, dramatically limp music biopic meant to be pure brand management. There are so many scenes of Naomi Ackie lip-synching full performances of these songs, and all you can say is, "Yeah, Whitney Houston was such a great singer." I don't need this movie to know that. I can just stay home and listen to her, which is an infinitely more rewarding experience. Read full review

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User Reviews

Carlos2022

Jan 12, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Excelente filme, a atuação da Naomi e excepcional. As canções, figurinos, cenário, tudo idêntico e um cópia fiel á história dela.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

viethung0274

Dec 23, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the best movies of the century so far. Maybe the best biopic that ever produced!! Great job!!… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Kdog152

Feb 24, 2023

It wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good. Though you could tell when the actress was mimicking Whitney's songs.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TVJerry

Jan 3, 2023

Naomi Ackie plays the famed singer in this highly predictable biopic. She does a credible job of acting and lip syncing (Houston's original vocals are used), channeling the singer's determination and demons. The story of her rise to fame and struggle with drugs is pretty well known, so it'sNaomi Ackie plays the famed singer in this highly predictable biopic. She does a credible job of acting and lip syncing (Houston's original vocals are used), channeling the singer's determination and demons. The story of her rise to fame and struggle with drugs is pretty well known, so it's up to the writer and director to give this story a creative approach to it to another level. There wasn't much struggle to get famous, so there's not a lot of excitement there. Her romantic relationship with Robyn Crawford is given much more attention than expected. Finally, her issues with Bobby Brown and drugs provided the biggest opportunity for drama, but it's relatively bland. As it is now, this film is like watching a Wikipedia biography with a sound track of Houston's greatest hits… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Dec 28, 2022

Anthony McCarten, the writer of this film also wrote Bohemian Rhapsody, so I'm not surprised I Wanna Dance with Somebody is such a simplistic and mediocre biopic.

I mean, if you go for the entertainment of such a basic biographical treatment, then enjoy it. If you wanted something moreAnthony McCarten, the writer of this film also wrote Bohemian Rhapsody, so I'm not surprised I Wanna Dance with Somebody is such a simplistic and mediocre biopic.

I mean, if you go for the entertainment of such a basic biographical treatment, then enjoy it. If you wanted something more elaborate, especially her hardcore fans, well this is not the place to find it.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

MetacriticOnur

Feb 25, 2023

bad
[ bad ]

adjective, worse, worst;(Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.
not good in any manner or degree.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

amm100

Jan 12, 2023

This movie has so much potential… but ended up being bad. The movie is boring and wack.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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