I Wanna Dance with Somebody

*From the organisers (correct at the time of publishing), please see the organiser’s website for the latest details.

2022 ( USA ) ( Biography, Drama, Music )
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders
Director: Kasi Lemmons
I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a joyous, emotional, heart breaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, one of the greatest female R&B pop vocalists of all time, tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.

British actor Naomi Ackie is very strong in the role of Houston (though with Whitney’s original singing voice dubbed). Houston was, of course, the glorious pop star who achieved mainstream white-crossover success but was crushed by sellout accusations, overwork, drug addiction, family strife and her volatile relationship with her notorious husband, Bobby Brown. She was found dead in the bathtub of her LA hotel room in 2012 at just 48 with evidence of cocaine use.

Kasi Lemmons’s Whitney Houston biopic strikes the right balance between conveying the joy of the star’s music and honouring the truth of her pain.

(2hr 24min)