The High Note

Nisha Ganatra's The High Note, the follow up to Late Night, has a similar premise to its predecessor. There is the icon who is not as relevant as she used to be and the newbie who knows exactly what needs to be done to help their boss out. The rest is predictable with an eventual fire and then a rehire. The film could do more to discuss women in the music business but strays away from any heavy topics.

Maggie (Dakota Johnson) works every day and night as an assistant to Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross). Maggie dreams of being a music producer and even spends her time mixing Grace's music. Grace's entourage isn't too fond of Maggie's ideas and constantly tells her to stay in her lane as an assistant.


Maggie's belief that her good ideas as an assistant will get her noticed makes this film feel like a fantasy. The scene of her knowing more than the music producers in the studio felt too forced and unrealistic. All she gets is a warning for speaking up. Instead of focusing on this, it would have been interesting to dive into the age and race of Grace which is only briefly explored through emotions versus being a plotline.


Ross is phenomenal in using her emotions to express to the audience how her character is feeling. Her movement and facial gestures tell us more about her than her words. Ross makes Davis interesting and never turns to classic tropes.


Johnson's performance as Maggie is inconsistent. Throughout the film, she has confidence in her and when things go wrong she suddenly loses it and returns home. It felt out of character for her to go back home instead of continuing her ambition. The stakes do not feel too high in this film and it plays the entertainment industry as an easy business to navigate through.


Johnson and Ross have harmonious chemistry that makes this film play like a romantic comedy between two women from different backgrounds.