Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael traces Jackson’s rise from his formative years in the Jackson 5 to his emergence as one of the most dominant figures in global pop culture.
Produced by Lionsgate in partnership with the Jackson estate, the film stars Jaafar Jackson as adolescent and teen Michael and Juliano Krue Valdi as younger Michael, supported by Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson who all give commendable portrayals. The performances are strong and committed, and the musical recreations are polished, clearly designed to satisfy longtime fans who can’t get enough.
The narrative leans heavily on Michael’s childhood and his fraught relationship with his father, who privately and publicly instilled the discipline that shaped his early career. His ascent to superstardom anchored by the unprecedented success of Thriller—is presented as inevitable, but rarely interrogated considering they recorded 800 demos were recored and only 9 chosen.
Where the film feels most limited is in its perspective. It prioritizes internal family conflict and personal mythology while sidelining the broader forces—both personal and professional—that defined Jackson’s career. Notably absent are key personal relationships, including Janet Jackson and romantic partners, drugs and his constant dissatisfaction with portrayals in the media, leaving the portrayal emotionally narrow.
One of the few sequences that breaks through is the recreation of the 1984 Pepsi commercial shoot directed by Bob Giraldi, where a pyrotechnics malfunction left Jackson with severe scalp burns. It stands out as the film’s most grounded and newsworthy moment—offering a glimpse of the risks and realities behind the image.
More significantly, the business side of Jackson’s career is touched on but not meaningfully explored. His acquisition of the ATV Music Publishing catalog—which included the publishing rights to The Beatles—and his landmark 1995 partnership in Sony/ATV Music Publishing are major omissions that strip away a crucial dimension of Jackson’s identity. He was a performer, yes, but also a shrewd businessman operating at the highest levels of global entertainment with real enemies.
Musically, the film delivers energy and familiarity, but its depiction of Jackson’s fame feels restrained; even routine appearances drew overwhelming crowds, a reality only lightly conveyed here.
The screenplay often plays like an extended music video treatment, to sell Jackson’s back catalog.
Ultimately, Michael succeeds as a visual and musical tribute to an American star, but falls short as a definitive portrait epic capturing his global super power. It celebrates the icon, but leaves the architect behind it—the strategist, the innovator, the businessman—largely unexplored.
★★★☆☆
