May 17, 2021 How did Netflix make a story about fashion, parties, drugs, and a larger-than-life central figure so boring? The new miniseries “Halston” accomplishes this feat through a shockingly shallow look at an engaging central figure. “Halston” tells the story of the eponymous milliner-turned-designer throughout his personal highs and lows between the early ’60s and late ’80s. Ewan McGregor plays the titular Roy Halston with commitment, charm, and energy lacking in the rest of the series. It’s almost become a cliché itself to deride a biopic for being formulaic and shallow, offering little more to illuminate the inner life of the subject matter than a cursory glance at his Wikipedia page. This broad-strokes derision is often an oversimplification, as even paint-by-numbers offerings such as “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Yves Saint Laurent” can be wildly entertaining and demonstrate some depth.