Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

PG-13

Released Dec 23, 2022

2h 26m

Biography

Drama

Music

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Tomatometer

136 Reviews

92%

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1,000+ Verified Ratings

Discovered by record executive Clive Davis, Whitney Houston rises to fame in the 1980s to become one of the greatest singers of her generation.

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Watch Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody with a subscription on Netflix, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Another wiki-biopic for posterity's sake, the relatively watchable I Wanna Dance with Somebody leaves you feeling like you were on stage with Whitney Houston, but didn't really get to dance with her.

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Audience Says

Naomi Ackie does an outstanding job as Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance with Somebody, and even longtime fans might learn a few things about the singer's life.

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Jenny Nulf

Austin Chronicle

WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY is like the SparkNotes of [Houston's] life, a smattering of collected moments that feel hollow.

Rated: 1.5/5

Feb 21, 2023

Full Review

Stephen Romei

The Australian

It is a celebration of her too-short, spectacular career but it does not ignore her drug use, her sexual relationship with Crawford, her tempestuous marriage, and her concert disasters.

Jan 6, 2023

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

I Wanna Dance with Somebody plays by the rules of the TV movie to efficient, if scarcely groundbreaking, effect. It will change no minds about Whitney Houston.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 3, 2023

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Maxance Vincent

InSession Film

It's miraculous that a movie penned by the screenwriter of Bohemian Rhapsody would be worth watching, but Kasi Lemmons continues to prove she is a highly versatile filmmaker/actor whose imprint on cinema will be felt for decades to come.

Rated: A

Mar 6, 2024

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

It wasn’t gay enough, but that it was gay at all gives me hope we’ll get this part of her story done right some day.

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

Nadine Whitney

Mr. Movie's Film Blog

I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a disservice to the memory of Whitney Houston. Make a playlist, watch videos, dance to her music. That’s a better way to remember her.

Sep 6, 2023

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Angelica

Awesome! The best of all of the Whitney biographies

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/28/23

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m c

So GOOD! What else can I say?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Did not disappoint

Loved th whole movie. When youre a Whitney fan, you want the movie to remind you how awesome she was. The movie did just that

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Peggy

I love her songs and how she sings them, so this movie was awesome! I love seeing how she got the songs she did. Its so sad though when drugs hurt people's lives and ability to function.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Harlan M

Strong performances. A lot of life was lived in 48 years and all couldnt have been covered in the 2+ hour movie. Well filmed and presented.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Evie

You see the complexity of her life. Heartbreaking and so tragic for someone so talented.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

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Kasi Lemmons

Director

Naomi Ackie

Whitney Houston

Stanley Tucci

Clive Davis

Nafessa Williams

Robyn Crawford

Tamara Tunie

Cissy Houston

Clarke Peters

John Houston

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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Official Clip - The Drug-Filled Tour

2:42

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Official Clip - It's Not Right but It's Okay

2:56

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Official Clip - How Will I Know

2:20

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Official Clip - The Medley

2:28

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Official Clip - Home

2:27

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Official Clip - I Wanna Dance With Somebody

1:02

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Official Clip - The Cheating Husband

2:48

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Official Clip - The Greatest Love of All

2:25

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Official Clip - Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown

3:35

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Official Clip - Whitney's Father Dies

2:35

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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Deleted Scene - Cool and Smart

0:45

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Featurette – Fun

1:00

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody: Featurette - Naomi Ackie is the Real Deal

0:50

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody: Trailer 2

1:46

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody: Trailer 1

1:57

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Synopsis

Discovered by record executive Clive Davis, Whitney Houston rises to fame in the 1980s to become one of the greatest singers of her generation.

Director: Kasi Lemmons
Producer: Anthony McCarten, Patricia Houston, Clive Davis, Larry Mestel, Denis O'Sullivan, Jeff Kalligheri, Matt Jackson, Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill, Thad Luckinbill, Matthew Salloway, Christina Papagjika
Screenwriter: Anthony McCarten
Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Production Co: West Madison Entertainment , Primary Wave Entertainment, Compelling Pictures, Muse of Fire, Black Label Media, TriStar Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Some Strong Language|Smoking|Strong Drug Content|Suggestive References)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 23, 2022, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 28, 2023
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.4M
Runtime: 2h 26m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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