‘Michael’ review: Simplistic, unchallenging and riddled with egregious omissions – this Jackson biopic is at best a fabulous karaoke act

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[Two stars] 

Donald Trump recently shared a striking social media post showing him portrayed in a way similar to Jesus Christ. This image brings to mind the new Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael,” which presents the late singer in a similarly glorified light – much like Trump seemed to be attempting to portray himself.

It shows Jackson as truly messianic, glowing with concern for sick children and general goodness.

Like many films, the key to understanding this one is in who made it. Six of the film’s executive producers – all named Michael, including his son Prince – share the last name Jackson, as does the main actor.

The family is determined to portray Michael in a positive light. Jaafar, who plays Michael, delivers the role with such a bright and charming smile that it’s hard to imagine his character ever doing anything wrong – not even something minor like mistreating his llama.

The movie covers Michael Jackson’s amazing 1988 concert at Wembley Stadium, and a message at the end lets us know that another film is coming soon.

Will the next documentary delve into the accusations of child sexual abuse and the reported $25 million Michael Jackson allegedly paid to settle a case with the family of Jordan Chandler, who claimed he was abused? I doubt it will, but I could be wrong.

Director Antoine Fuqua and writer John Logan present Jackson’s life story in a straightforward way, avoiding any complicated or unclear details.

Colman Domingo delivers a strong performance as Joe, Jackson’s father – a character who is openly cruel, manipulative, and controlling. He practically announces his villainy with his behavior.

In comparison, his mother, Katherine (played by Nia Long), is portrayed as exceptionally virtuous. His siblings, however, lack distinct personalities, and his sister Janet, who reportedly disliked the movie, isn’t included at all.

Michael relies on his bodyguard and driver, Bill Bray (Keilyn Durrel Jones), for unwavering support and understanding. Interestingly, Michael’s chimpanzee, Bubbles, provides a similar comforting presence.

These supporting characters primarily serve to help us understand the central figure: a remarkably gifted performer who never fully grew up and tragically died from a drug overdose in 2009 at the age of 50. His 1982 album, Thriller, is still the best-selling album ever released.

In 1966, in Gary, Indiana, Joe relentlessly pushes his sons to perfect their performance. He demands, ‘Do you want to end up working in a steel mill like me?’ and harshly disciplines anyone who complains or resists, often using a belt.

This is the first of many explanations, and it continues when the youngest child, eight-year-old Michael, reads a story by JM Barrie to himself while in bed.

He announced that ‘Neverland was finally free,’ a statement that, for some, brought to mind the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland. That film featured allegations of child abuse made against Jackson by two men.

While reading Peter Pan, Michael notices the name ‘Joe’ written next to an arrow pointing to Captain Hook. It turns out this Joe, like overbearing parents in many biographical movies, heavily influenced the story and it shows.

By 1969, the Jackson 5 had arrived in Los Angeles and impressed Motown founder Berry Gordy with their talent. He was particularly amazed by Michael, having never seen a performer quite like him.

The film then moves through the key events of Jackson’s incredible life: his decision to pursue a solo career, his immense financial success, his rhinoplasty, firing his father (delivered harshly in a short fax from his new manager, John Branca, portrayed by Miles Teller), and the frightening incident on a 1984 Pepsi commercial set where his hair was accidentally set ablaze.

Jaafar Jackson, who replaced Juliano Valdo (who did a great job playing the younger Michael), delivers a captivating performance as his uncle, Michael Jackson.

He might not be a great actor, but physically – in terms of appearance, voice, and dancing – he’s perfect for the role.

Okay, let’s be real – the story itself isn’t exactly groundbreaking, and there are some pretty big gaps in the details. But honestly? With a $200 million budget, you can definitely put on a spectacular show. It’s all about the presentation, and this delivers on that front – think of it as a really high-end, visually stunning performance rather than a deeply complex narrative.

Okay, so everyone’s talking about how expensive this movie was to make, but honestly? I don’t even care! The trailer has already been viewed over 116 million times in just ONE day! I’m telling you, this is going to absolutely destroy box office records for music biopics. And as a lifelong Michael fan, I know we’re all willing to just… focus on the incredible music and artistry and maybe not dwell on the stuff that wasn’t so great. It’s going to be amazing, I can feel it!

As expected, the detail reinforces the narrative promoted by the Jackson estate – that Michael only felt comfortable around animals and children because he remained emotionally vulnerable and childlike in the adult world.

Michael opens in UK cinemas on Wednesday.

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2026-04-21 19:50