Michael Jackson is a music icon. Few stars have come close to the fame and success that he achieved over the course of his career, before his death in 2009. Over the years there have been various attempts to tell the legend’s story but the most successful has been the recent big screen release ‘Michael’. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (‘Olympus Has Fallen’) and written by John Logan (‘Skyfall’), ‘Michael’ covers the period from the Jackson 5’s formation in the 1960s through to the Bad World Tour in the late 80s.
The film’s journey to the big screen experienced a few setbacks. It was delayed by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike and the third act had to be revised and reshot, as it originally explored the child abuse allegations that dogged Jackson’s career in the early 90s. A legal clause in the settlement with one of Jackson’s accusers meant that the allegations could not be depicted. It’s important to note that Jackson was never found guilty of any wrongdoing during the lawsuits filed against him, although allegations have persisted until this day.
With all of the above in mind, ‘Michael’ is limited in the story it can tell and as you’d expect from something that had involvement from the late star’s estate, the end result doesn’t go particularly deep into his life. While it doesn’t shy away from the difficult relationship he had with his father Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo), and even depicts a scene of Michael being beaten by his father, the film doesn’t add anything new to what we already know. Interestingly three of Michael’s siblings – Janet, Randy and Rebbie – don’t appear in the film at all after declining to be depicted. The omission of Janet is especially odd given that the two siblings’ life and careers were always intertwined.
What the film does do is give a good summary of Michael’s career from his early days of being forced to perform with his brothers in the Jackson 5, through to the infamous Pepsi commercial filming that left him with severe burns to his scalp when his hair caught on fire in an accident. ‘Michael’ is punctuated by all of the star’s hits from the period, and it’s a reminder of just what a force of nature he was. The film depicts Michael as a young man trapped in a toxic push-pull with his father, trying to find his independence while struggling to break free from Joe’s influence. His relationship with his mother Katherine (Nia Long) is shown as one that was loving and supportive, even if she never stepped in to intervene when Joe became abusive.
There are some nice moments along the way. The recreation of key music videos from Michael’s career are a nice shot of nostalgia for fans, and the inclusion of Bubbles, the chimp that Michael adopted, provides a bit of humour when he assembles the family to welcome the new addition. By the film’s end, the biopic aspect has all but gone out of the window and the film instead becomes a concert recreation. Interestingly the final moments tease ‘His Story Continues’ so could a sequel be in the works? If so, it’ll be interesting to see what it covers given the problems this film had getting made.
Despite the film’s flaws, there’s no faulting Jaafar Jackson’s performance. He channels his late uncle impressively, capturing the way he spoke and the way he performed down to a tee. Jaafar is the spitting image of Michael and he gives a strong performance, bringing Michael’s softer nature to the fore and juxtaposing it with his trademark confidence as a performer. Colman Domingo and Nia Long are excellent too as Joe and Katherine, the parents that were ying and yang to Michael throughout his life and career. Miles Teller has a small role as Michael’s attorney John Branca, but honestly he gets a bit lost in the mix of the film.
‘Michael’ is pretty much the film you’ll expect it to be. If a reminder of Michael’s music and legacy is what you’re after, then the film delivers. If you were hoping for a deep dive into the star’s life and mindset, then you’ll be left sorely disappointed. While ‘Michael’ doesn’t completely paint that icon as a saint, it doesn’t dig deep enough into the aspects of his life that fans, and casual fans, would likely want to know more about. It’s also unlikely to change anyone’s minds about Michael.
Cast: Jaafar Jackson, Nia Long, Colman Domingo, Juliano Valdi, Miles Teller Director: Antoine Fuqua Writer: John Logan Certificate: PG Duration: 127 mins Released by: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Release date: 9th June 2026 (Digital), 10th August 2026 (4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD) Buy ‘Michael’ now
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