It’s flat-out eerie (and impressive) how spot-on Andra Day’s portrayal of Billie Holiday is in this biopic from Lee Daniels. If only the film itself was in the same league as her performance. Daniels is quick to give us a tough, rip-your-heart-out, tragedy-infused film, but it only scratches the surface of Holiday’s life by piling on all the adversity and hardship she endured (which was copious). A more well-rounded depiction of Lady Day would have done her story more justice and not denied us the story of the real woman she was.

3/5 stars