10 years after the tragic and sudden death of pop music icon Whitney Houston, her estate’s official authorized biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody was released in November 2022. It was the first film to include her family and longtime record label’s contributions. Leading up to it, there were dozens of documentaries, films, books, and television specials that her family denounced. Ahead of its release, fans were excited, but others had reservations. While many were happy her estate was finally telling Houston’s story, others were afraid they’d wash the story down of America’s Princess.
Her highs and lows are not foreign to any pop culture lover of Houston fanatic: church girl learns to sing under her mother’s tutelage and becomes a worldwide sensation breaking music and color barriers but endures extreme criticism, a tumultuous marriage, and uncontrollable substance abuse that leads to her fall from grace. On her come up, she dies of an accidental overdose and drowning. But it doesn’t erase that she remained “The Voice.” And for the most part, fans and viewers alike agreed that the film did a good job of capturing such.ย
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Just five months after its theatrical release, Netflix has the biopic available on the streaming platform. And over the weekend, millions tuned in. Twitter users are surely in their feelings.
Bravo to Ackie
Ackie is most known for her Broadway work. But she shined as Houston. And, she was handpicked by Houston’s longtime mentor and label head, Clive Davis, to play the star in the film.
Well done
Many agreed the film was done truthfully and with dignity, despite showing Houston’s flaws. It was a well-balanced portrayal.
Where was Woody McClain?!
McClain portrayed Houston’s ex-husband, Bobby Brown, effortlessly in two BET miniseries. In the biopic, Ashton Sanders played Brown. Some wondered why McClain didn’t sign up for a second time. He revealed his reasoning to us in a recent interview, saying: “We did that 10 years ago. That was fun, man. It was fun. It was like one of those lightning-in-the-bottle moments. Can’t recapture that moment again. So yeah, that chapter has been closed, and we’ve moved on. So I’m super excited about that, and I really want to explore other characters.”
Middle ground
Some felt the film was just OK. Reviews across the board were favorable. There weren’t many that were horrible.
From start to finish
Other viewers were enamored from the start of the film. Watching a young version of Houston learn her chops to become an international icon was exciting. Naomi Ackie, who starred as Houston, revealed the producers merged her vocals with Houston’s throughout the film to keep it authentic.ย
Don’t eff this up
Many flocked to Netflix as soon as they heard the film was available for streaming. But die-hard Houston fans had one warning: the film better be good. And because it came from her estate, the expectations were higher. Reviews of previous unauthorized films have been mixed.
