The United States vs. Billie Holiday

The United States vs. Billie Holiday follows the singer Billie Holiday during the later part of her career, when federal authorities turned their attention to her. Her performances of the protest song "Strange Fruit," which addressed racial violence, made her a target, and the government used her drug use as a way to pursue her. A federal agent, Jimmy Fletcher, is assigned to get close to her, and their relationship becomes complicated as he comes to know her personally. Harry Anslinger, who led the narcotics bureau, directs the pressure against her.

Lee Daniels directed the film, which sits between The Butler and The Deliverance in his filmography, from a screenplay by Suzan-Lori Parks. Andra Day plays Holiday, with Trevante Rhodes as Fletcher, Garrett Hedlund as Anslinger, Leslie Jordan as Reginald Lord Devine, Miss Lawrence as Miss Freddy, and Adriane Lenox as Mrs. Fletcher.

Released in 2021, the film runs 131 minutes. It earned about 1 million USD worldwide, a modest return. On IMDb it holds a 6.3 rating from roughly 16,000 votes, and on TMDB a 6.5 from around 322 votes. A critics' rating of 5.5 from 188 reviews places it somewhat below the audience scores, indicating a mixed response from reviewers while viewers were slightly more favorable.