Michael (2026) Film Review

Film Details

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Run Time: 2hr 8m

Cast: Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Miles Tellar, Juliano Valdi, Nia Long, KeiLyn Durrel Jones

Synopsis

The story of King of Pop Michael Jackson and his journey from childhood stardom with the Jackson 5, to the biggest entertainer in the history of music.

My Review

Critics may dislike it, general audiences seem to absolutely love it, I fall somewhere in the middle! Michael is undoubtedly an enjoyable spotlight focusing on the early years of the King of Pop, weaving his iconic songs into a story that is both fast paced and captivating. From a technical perspective this is another pretty generic musical biopic that skips past way too many events to be a detailed retelling of his life. But Jaafar Jackson truly embodies the very spirit of Michael Jackson and that electric energy elevates the film far above that generic label, nailing the voice and the physicality of Michael perfectly.

Musical biopics have a habit of exploiting our nostalgia, our love for the artist or their songs allow us to overlook flaws. That is perfectly fine and happens in all aspects of film, but I do believe it’s important to at least acknowledge the faults. For me it felt like the film was afraid to fully commit itself to the severity of Michael’s trauma, only really touching the surface of Joseph’s abuse and even the isolation of stardom was a minor sub plot. That emotional core still played a big part, don’t get me wrong, but if the script had that as the primary focus rather than the music itself, I think we would be looking at a far superior film. That being said, credit must go to Colman Domingo because every time he stepped into frame, you felt a real anger towards him and the energy Joseph brings when he enters a room, a really strong performance.

It is no surprise that the film has grossed over $200m in its opening weekend, there haven’t been many people on planet earth as famous as Michal Jackson! This all but confirms that the second film will happen and I truly hope we will see a much deeper character study on Michael the man and not the entertainer, exploring his struggles with his appearance and the allegations against him, at least what can legally be included anyway. Also be prepared for some major absentees from this film because some people refused to be included, like his sister Janet Jackson or even Diana Ross.

My Rating: 7 out of 10

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