Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Examines the life and career of singer Whitney Houston. Features never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive recordings, rare performances and interviews with the people who knew her best.
Kevin Macdonald's documentary offers a respectful and emotionally resonant portrait of Whitney Houston, bolstered by rare archival footage and candid interviews that go beyond surface-level biography. The revelation about childhood abuse adds genuine depth and reframes her struggles compellingly. However, the film follows a fairly conventional rise-and-fall documentary structure, and the ending feels somewhat deflating and inevitable rather than cathartic or illuminating — the tragedy is well-documented but the film struggles to find a truly fresh perspective on her final years. Cinematography is solid but unremarkable for the genre.