"Michael" Movie Review

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]Even years after his death, Michael Jackson remains one of the biggest pop stars in the world. So, it's inevitable someone would attempt to produce a biopic about his life. With Michael, we get a recreation of his rise from the '60s to the '80s, and there's a particular emphasis on Jackson's relationship with his abusive and controlling father. That's a smart way to find some kind of arc, even as a lot of the movie also feels like a highlight reel. Due to the timeline, it's mostly about the rise of the star with very few downturns, and the film mostly emphasizes his positive qualities rather than any particular flaws. The whole film thus makes for a curious biography.

[00:00:32]The difficulty with any musician biopic is the formula many of them fall into.

[00:00:36]It can seem like any musician has the same life and ups and downs when that's obviously not the case. Director Antoine Fuqua and writer John Logan seem almost aware of this, and there are admittedly less of the annoying clichés prevalent in this subgenre. There are no record executives doubtful Jackson's music will succeed, nor the misbehaving that alienates him from his fellow musicians.

[00:00:55]There are a few moments when Jackson looks up to screen and gets inspired, but not as many as you might think.

[00:01:00]Michael is primarily fashioned as a father-son story and how Joseph's abusive behavior has an effect on his son and how he attempts to escape through his interest in music. Colman Domingo succeeds in making Joseph a truly despicable figure, and it makes his moments of embarrassment that much more cathartic. Nia Long is also very good as Michael's mother, Katherine, providing that needed support. Although, one wonders why she stuck with Joseph for so long. Jaafar Jackson does believably act like his uncle, and does particularly well with the dance moves, which is obviously a necessity when playing him. Fuqua directs the musical numbers with plenty of energy, with the concert scene showing precisely why Jackson's music captivated so many. A lot of care has obviously been put into recreating moments like the Thriller music video. Of course, in trying to depict 22 years over the course of a few hours, the film skips around a lot to the point of feeling like a highlight reel of his greatest hits of the period.

[00:01:47]Outside of his confrontations with his father and the infamous Pepsi commercial incident, there is very little conflict to be found here. And then comes the depiction of Michael Jackson, who's presented with extremely few flaws. The film does not necessarily need to address the elephant in the room, and if filmmakers wanted to present a sympathetic portrait of him, that's fine. However, Michael showing him as this perfect angel also feels a little inaccurate. Michael is a fascinating biopic as the pieces are all there, and there are less of the obvious clichés than one expects. If someone is watching it to experience some exhilarating concert sequences, they will get their money's worth. And Jaafar Jackson more than embodies the famous pop star. The movie ends with a title card promising that his story will continue, indicating the filmmakers do plan on making a second movie depicting the rest of his life. With how sympathetically he's portrayed in Michael and the headlines about his behavior in the '90s and 2000s, it's hard to know what approach they'll take, especially with his estate backing this biopic. But, looking at this first part, it presents a passable and reasonably entertaining snapshot of various points in Jackson's life, and in particular his difficult relationship with a terrible father.

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