Michael (2026)

​“Michael” stars Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate, and Derek Luke.  Released on April 24, 2026, the film explores Michael Jackson from his time with the Jackson 5 through his early solo career.

The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua, who also directed films such as “Training Day”, “Olympus Has Fallen”, “The Equalizer”, and “Emancipation”.  The music industry has been the home to numerous musicians, some more well-known than others.  While some artists create music that is enjoyable to dance to or tap our toes to, others have made a significant impact with songs that resonate not just within the industry but throughout the world.  In the pop genre, one singer exploded onto the scene and became its one true king.  That artist was none other than Michael Jackson.  Known as the “King of Pop”, Jackson’s achievements in music, fashion, and fancy street dance moves made him one of the most culturally significant figures of all time, breaking down several racial barriers in the process.  But, of course, it isn’t without the family drama that drove him to solo stardom.  This is where this latest addition to the musical biopic catalog comes into play, which chronicles Jackson’s time with the Jackson 5, leading up to his quest to become independent despite his controlling father.  Given the massive impact he’s left behind, it’s no surprise there’s a lot of pressure riding on this movie to honor his legacy in the music business.  Was it able to accomplish this daunting task, or will it make audiences want to moonwalk out to a different biopic?  Let’s find out.

The story follows the early life of Michael Jackson (Jackson), a member of the Jackson family.  Led by their father, Joe Jackson (Domingo), Michael and his four older brothers dominated their hometown through their music as the pop band, the Jackson 5, with Michael being the lead singer.  However, Joe’s controlling, abusive nature starts to take a toll on Michael’s life, as he struggles to live on his own under Joe’s shadow.  As a result, Michael embarks on a solo journey to express his own passion, leading to a career that will transform the music industry forever.

No words can describe how much my family and I love Michael Jackson.  My parents have been listening to the Jackson 5 and Michael himself long before I was born.  After my arrival, they introduced me to their music, and I, too, became a follower of their catchy, impactful tunes.  As I grew older, I also started to appreciate the late singer not just for his music, but also for the accomplishments and challenges he had to overcome to create it.  I should know, because I was first introduced to his early life as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 through the miniseries “The Jacksons: An American Dream”, particularly his estranged relationship with his abusive father, Joe Jackson.  Besides the personal issues he had in his later years, mainly the allegations of child sexual abuse, my high respect for Jackson remains strong even after his unfortunate passing.  Unsurprisingly, this left me with both excitement and curiosity regarding Antoine Fuqua’s attempt to bring Michael Jackson’s life to the big screen.  It has been a long time coming to finally get a Michael Jackson biopic, especially with how many musical biopics we’ve been getting.  The question now is whether or not it lives up to the hype.

Regarding the storyline itself, I would describe “Michael” as a cinematic retelling of “The Jacksons: An American Dream”.  The reason is that it explores the first part of Michael Jackson’s life, beginning with Joe Jackson assembling the Jackson 5 and concluding with the singer’s “Bad” era as part of his solo career.  So, if you’re hoping for the movie to explore his life and career in its entirety, including the allegations, you’re going to have to wait until the sequel.  All you’re getting in this film is Michael’s attempt to moonwalk out of his rough childhood and change the world with his music.  Given the involvement of the Jackson family and the third act reshoots, I can understand why.  The absence of that topic has been the main focus of critics’ reviews of the movie, leading me to believe that they either don’t understand what the movie is really about or still have a personal agenda against him.  It's no surprise that Michael’s songs about the dark side of media publicity grow more relevant with each passing day.

I always believe that it’s important to understand the purpose of a movie behind the scenes so that we, as critics or casual viewers, can provide honesty in our opinions, whether positive or not.  “Michael” is absolutely no exception, primarily for its cinematic and storytelling aspects.  But, even with that in mind, it’s hard to ignore the film’s missed potential to become another musical masterpiece in the biopic genre.  This is another run-of-the-mill musical biographical drama that plays its similar narrative notes beat by beat, chronicling the singer’s rise amid the personal drama.  While the charm and heart shine during those moments, the screenplay lacks the emotional weight in its themes to coincide with Michael’s journey of independence.  “Michael” is basically a full-on recreation of the artist’s greatest hits, akin to a visual soundtrack you would place alongside a collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia.  Whether that’s a bad thing will depend on your preference for biopic storytelling: safe and family-friendly or mature and well-rounded.

It’s quite a shame, considering John Logan’s track record.  While some of his writing credits weren’t exactly flawless, he did write a few great films like “Rango”, “Hugo”, and “The Aviator”.  Don’t get me wrong.  Logan’s script for “Michael” has plenty of promising aspects that would’ve made it as special as Jackson’s early career, with one of them being Michael’s relationship with his father.  That element subtly highlights the life of a child celebrity, with Michael being forced by Joe to practice every single day rather than be a regular kid.  It also showcases the characters’ different perspectives on supporting the family, with Joe mistaking his support for selfishness and obsession with success.  The other important factor is Michael’s determination to live his life and change the world through his creative melodies and dance choreography.  There were certainly some elements that would’ve strengthened its social commentary, particularly regarding race in the music industry.  Some were earnest in their understanding of Michael’s kindheartedness, not just as a celebrity, but also as a human being.  However, its pacing doesn’t give the film enough time to fully develop its central themes, let alone its predictable tropes, despite its two-hour-plus runtime.  It kept me engaged, but it also made me want it to “keep its feet still” for a while longer.

It’s unfair to say the movie doesn’t work because of the absence of the allegations, because that’s not the main issue.  The problem is that the film puts itself on a similar path as other musical biopics without offering much else in the process, emotional beats or otherwise.  So if you’re hoping for a stronger, fully explored take on its tropes to coincide with Michael’s early accomplishments, it may make you want to leave this movie alone.  However, if your expectation is only to see Michael Jackson shine on the big screen, it definitely has enough moments of human nature to satisfy.  It’s entertaining, light-hearted, and glossy to the point of being a toe-tapping good time, even if the substance lacks the “oooh” to match the title character’s smoothness.  This is one of the movies that, regardless of quality, injects a sense of joy and awe into its environments and tone to deliver a movie-going experience for its audience.  As a long-time listener of Michael Jackson, I can say I was pretty satisfied with the experience of seeing the artist on the big screen.

Antoine Fuqua is usually known for helming movies with a bleaker, more mature tone, like “Training Day” and the “Equalizer” trilogy.  So, seeing him helm a film that’s as light-hearted and colorful as “Michael” seems like a pretty big shift regarding his vision.  Although his direction in this film may not be as strong as in some of his earlier works, Fuqua did a commendable job of bringing Michael Jackson's world to life, particularly in the film's overall vibe.  The film captures a flashy, upbeat cinematic essence that aligns with Jackson's early days, reflecting the charisma that came from his music and personality.  While it may not effectively convey the emotional aspects of the family drama, I couldn't help but admire its atmosphere, which shares the same energy as Jackson's own.  Additionally, the recreation of Jackson’s concerts was extremely effective in provoking several trips down memory lane for those who grew up listening to his music, even if a few CGI elements were a tad noticeable.

Regarding its cast, the only two standouts who won me over completely are Jaafar Jackson and Colman Domingo.  I was only familiar with Jaafar through the film's cast announcement, where I learned he’s Michael Jackson’s nephew.  It also convinced me to check out his debut single, “Got Me Singing”, and I must admit that he certainly has his uncle’s spirit in his singing.  This left me hoping he would deliver a performance that would make his uncle proud, which he absolutely did.  This is another performance in which an actor fully transforms into a completely different person.  You don’t see someone perform; you see the character themselves.  Regarding his vocal range, dance choreography, and calm demeanor, Jaafar Jackson embodies his uncle in a way that makes me believe Michael Jackson is still with us.  He was absolutely incredible at bringing his uncle’s legacy to life…by actually becoming his uncle.  I would also send some flowers to Juliano Krue Valdi for his solid portrayal of the young Michael.  Colman Domingo was also great, as he effectively conveys Joe’s sleazy, selfish persona, making him a delightful yet one-dimensional cartoon villain.  Joe is the type of father who prioritizes success over his sons' safety, despite claiming he's doing it for them, and Domingo was the perfect choice to portray him.  I’m telling you, Domingo is such a pro at playing these types of characters you love to hate, while still being a talented actor worth watching.  Nia Long also delivered a respectable performance as Katherine, Michael’s mother, and Miles Teller was serviceable as Michael’s manager, John Branca, aside from his hair.

Overall, “Michael” is far from a thriller in the musical biopic space, but the good intentions in its tone and “greatest hits” tribute make for a mildly smooth experience for the singer’s fans.  Regarding its inspiring themes and Michael’s journey, this could’ve been another fantastic addition to the melodic biopic trend, one that’s as meaningful as his early accomplishments.  Instead, we’re left with a suitably average fact-based drama that follows the same narrative notes without much heft in its emotional beats and story.  Outside of that, it works best as a watchable, vibrantly charismatic display of Jackson’s finest moments, featuring a spectacular Jaafar Jackson in his acting debut.  It's a safe, glossy retelling of Michael’s rise that will make its naysayers want to beat it, and not in a good way, but it’ll also satisfy fans eager to experience the singer’s iconic moments in cinematic form and nothing else.  It’s anything but “bad”, but it’s also not a smooth criminal it wants to be.

C