Fans are here for Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, the 2022 celebration of Houston's life and career. The biopic has been in the No. 1 spot on the daily Netflix Top 10 since its April 22 debut on the site.
The movie stars Naomi Ackie in a career-defining performance as Whitney Houston. Though Whitney's voice shines throughout the movie, Ackie also lent her voice to various scenes. The movie also stars Nafessa Williams as Robyn Crawford, Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown, Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis, Tamara Tunie as Cissy Houston and Bria Danielle Singleton as Bobbi Kristina.
I Wanna Dance with Somebody was released on December 23, 2022, in the US and opened to just over $4 million. It went on to make about $23 million in the US, and when combined with the international box office take it made just under $58 million. At close to two and a half hours, it's quite possible that Whitney Houston fans decided to skip the theatrical release in favor of being able to enjoy the movie from the comfort of their homes.
Though it didn't particularly rate well at the box office, the movie has a 92% audience score rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.6/10 rating on IMDB. Rotten Tomatoes user Harlan M. praised the film: "Strong performances. A lot of life was lived in 48 years and all couldn't have been presented in the 2+ hour movie. Well filmed and presented."
Critics, on the other hand, delivered a rotten 44% rating for the movie. Jenny Nulf of the Austin Chronicle panned the film, noting that "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is like the SparkNotes of [Houston's] life, a smattering of collected moments that feel hollow.” Stephen Romei of The Australian, in a positive review, said that, "It is a celebration of her too-short, spectacular career but it does not ignore her drudge use, her sexual relationship with Crawford, her tempestuous marriage and her concert disasters."
The movie is a celebration of Houston's life, enticing devoted Whitney fans as well as newcomers who are only just discovering the deep and complex history of one of the best singers in history.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is available to stream on Netflix now, and it’s also available to rent and purchase.
