Aaliyah Biopic Gets Slammed By Critics

Lifetime just aired the long anticipated Aaliyah biopic, and unfortunately for the network, reviews were less than favorable. Critics are already taking to social media to express their dislike of the film. While lead actress Alexandra Shipp received praise for her depiction as the late R&B singer, overall sentiments was almost unanimously on the negative side.

Even long before the movie’s release, members of Aaliyah’s family opposed the idea of a movie being made about her (though there are rumors that relatives are working on their own biopic). Many felt that the film skimmed over important parts of the young singer’s life that had a profound impact on her, both career wise and personally. Yet, much attention was focused on her relationship with R. Kelly whom she was romantically linked to when she was just 15 and he was 27.

Critics, however, did note a few positive highlights; definitely not highlights that can save the film from being a complete bust but certainly worthy of mention. If it was one thing Lifetime got right in the Aaliyah biopic it was its overall and positive portrayal of the singer, who was shown as a go-getter who remained true to herself without ever letting the fame get into her head.

She was also shown as being steadfast in her stance. This was most evident during a scene when a 16-year-old Aaliyah stood up to her executives and demanded that then-unknown artists Timbaland and Missy Elliot be included in her upcoming album One in a Million. That took serious courage on her part, and it paid off. The album went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide.

Speaking of Timbaland, he was one of the most vocal critics of the Aaliyah biopic and made it known on Twitter and Instagram exactly how he felt about the film’s release:

A photo posted by Timbo the King (@timbaland) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:54am PST

[photo credit: MboyoT]