Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody earns its keep by doing the hardest thing a music biopic can do: it makes you feel, in your bones, why Whitney was once-in-a-generation, not just famous. Kasi Lemmons stages her rise with the sweep of a crowd-pleasing concert film while still letting the quieter, lonelier moments land, and Naomi Ackie is so alive with Whitney’s spark that you stop thinking about imitation and start believing in presence. The movie rides a buoyant, sing-along high—then lets the cost of that spotlight seep in, with heartbreak and pressure never far behind, even when the edges are softened for a PG-13 audience. If you want an unflinching forensic portrait, you may find it a touch restrained, but if you’re on the fence and love the music, this is the kind of big-hearted, tear-prone celebration that sends you home hearing those songs like they’re new again.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody clearly wants to be a big, crowd-pleasing tribute—part concert, part inspirational rise-and-fall story—and it does deliver the hits with real energy, anchored by Naomi Ackie’s committed performance. The problem is it often plays like a checklist biopic, rushing through major milestones and smoothing over messy complexities, so the emotional beats can feel prepackaged instead of earned. If you’re hoping for sharp insight, deeper character work, or a braver look at the darker chapters, this may come off as glossy brand management more than a revealing portrait. But if what you want is a respectful, accessible recap with strong musical moments and a PG-13 approach to the harder stuff, it’ll likely do the job.