MICHAEL – The King of Pop’s Story on the Big Screen!

MICHAEL is directed by Antoine Fuqua. It stars Jaafar Jackson, Nia Long, Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Juliano Krue Valdi, Kendrick Sampson, Larenz Tate, Mike Myers, and Deon Cole.

In the 1960s in Gary, Indiana, young Michael Jackson is shown to have an amazing gift for singing, performing alongside his brothers in the Jackson 5, under the ever-watchful eye of their controlling and ambitious father Joe. As the years pass, Michael’s star rises as he releases hit albums and singles, dealing with personal differences and adversities as he rises to become one of the most famous and successful pop singers in history.

Is there any pop singer’s life more fabled, legendary, and infamous as that of Michael Jackson? From the pop charts to the tabloids, and now, even well after his death, the King of Pop is as popular as he’s ever been. Hell, out here in Las Vegas, there are even multiple tribute shows! If there’s one musician out there, in any genre of music whatsoever, who deserves a biopic, it’s Michael Jackson. When MICHAEL was announced, I was pleased to see his legacy finally getting this treatment, but I also came in with the typical pessimism I experience whenever music biopics are announced, as not all of them do justice to their subject matter.

So, how does MICHAEL measure up? Jaafar Jackson (Michael’s nephew) plays the King of Pop brilliantly; it’s an electrifying performance and certainly one of the best in 2026 so far. Unfortunately, other aspects don’t fare so well. MICHAEL’s leading man is worthy of the Jackson name, but aside from that, it’s a stock paint-by-numbers biopic restrained by a PG-13 rating that never tries to be anything but the surface level version of this story.

Let’s start by sharing the best thing about MICHAEL – Its leading man, Jaafar Jackson. Michael’s nephew makes his feature film debut here, and he’s on fire. This guy steals the show every single time he’s on screen, effectively becoming his uncle at varying phases of his life and sucking the audience in. Music biopics don’t work without convincing leads, and Jaafar is the real deal. From his re-enactments of Michael’s legendary on-stage performances to housing exotic animals at the Jackson Family home, he knows how to entertain an audience. I have a feeling this isn’t the last time we’ll be seeing him on the big screen; he’s sure to have a promising career ahead of him!

The supporting cast is well assembled, including another breakout performer, Juliano Krue Valdi, playing Jackson as a young boy, and Colman Domingo as Michael’s father Joe with whom he had a constantly clashing relationship from a young age. Other highlights in the casting include Nia Long as Jackson’s mother, Laura Harrier as a Motown employee interested in the Jacksons and their musical ability, Mike Myers as a record company exec (similar to his appearance in BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY), and an underused Deon Cole portraying Don King. Jaafar Jackson has great chemistry with every one of the supporting players he interacts with, no matter what the scene requires.

I was glad to see that MICHAEL devotes its first act to Jackson’s childhood rather than just skipping immediately to the “adult” stuff where Jaafar takes center stage. The problem is that the movie just isn’t what it could have been. A PG-13 rating means this film can’t go anywhere beneath the surface; it’s a classic example of “what you see is what you get.” The period detail is amazing. The casting is fantastic. But MICHAEL falters because the movie refuses to show Jackson as anything but a victim and a pop success. The movie (rather conveniently) ends with a performance of the title track from the BAD album in England in the late 1980s. This means the movie doesn’t even bother entering the 1990s, where Jackson was subject to numerous sexual abuse allegations and was in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons. Not only does the movie not get to this point; it never even mentions it in worded epilogues at the end. In fact, the movie has no worded epilogues of any kind, which is a strange move for any biopic. Rumors persist that there may be a sequel with Jaafar reprising this role. At this point those are rumors and nothing more, though.

I wanted to love MICHAEL. Jaafar Jackson’s career-defining breakout performance is one for the ages; no one who sees this movie will be able to deny how electric he is on camera, effectively resurrecting his famed uncle in fine form. But he’s surrounded by biopic cliches and a frustratingly surface-level affair that never becomes what it could’ve been, refusing to show any of Jackson’s flaws or even entering an era when public faith in him was tested.

Do I recommend MICHAEL or not? This is a tough one because I’m right on the fence. The casting (particularly Jaafar) is perfect. The period details and sounds are undeniably good. And you’ll find yourself getting caught up with it and immersed in this world. But it ends too soon, at the most convenient place, and can’t be bothered to dig deeper. And yet, flaws aside, there were moments where I found myself moving my legs and singing along (and the public crowd I saw this with was certainly doing the same). I do hope the movie encourages younger generations to seek out Jackson’s music and see why it’s so timeless. MICHAEL gets a marginal thumbs up from this music fan and film critic, with Jaafar’s performance being the deciding factor in favor.