After taking on Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), Anthony McCarten wrote a script about another superstar with a troubled personal life.

Sadly, it feels entirely uninspired, as if McCarten couldn’t find what part of Whitney Houston’s life that motivated him and instead settled for a Wikipedia entry, ticking off all the expected events and hits.

The pressure on Houston comes across and Naomie Ackie is good in the lead. Musical performances are forcefully recreated, but conflicts are not fully explored.

2022-U.S. 146 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Kasi Lemmons. Screenplay: Anthony McCarten. Cast: Naomie Ackie (Whitney Houston), Stanley Tucci (Clive Davis), Ashton Sanders (Bobby Brown), Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, Clarke Peters.