Michael Is Entertaining, Anything But Thrilling

Michael

★ ★ ½

Michael is a biopic about the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. It’s directed by Antoine Fuqua, a director known for the hard-hitting action thriller Training Day. Jackson’s story is ripe for Fuqua’s storytelling: an iconic rise to fame scarred by late-career scandal. What we’re given is a surface-level treatment of Jackson’s early rise, from his days singing with his older brothers in the Jackson 5 to his struggle to break away from his father, Joseph Jackson. Mostly, the film stays in the ‘80s.

Minor spoiler alert.

Jaafar Jackson as Michael doing the moonwalk
© 2026 Universal Pictures / Lionsgate

It would be helpful to know that this is intended to be a two-part film, something audiences don’t know unless they read a review or see “His story continues…” appear onscreen before the credits roll. It doesn’t often work with audiences to end on a cliffhanger, even when they know there’s a second film coming. I think back to the groans of fellow audience members when we reached the end of The Matrix Reloaded as “To be continued” showed up. It’s almost always better for a film to feel complete, even if we know a sequel is coming.

Michael spends a lot of time focusing on the relationship between young Michael (Juliano Valdi), adult Michael (Jaafar Jackson) and their overbearing, self-serving father, Joseph (Colman Domingo). As the film portrays, Joseph is abusive, both mentally and physically. He’s quick to discipline with a thick belt. Michael seems to get the brunt of Joseph’s abuse as his brothers look on uncomfortably, and his mother, Katherine (Nia Long), casually tries to keep Joseph in check.

Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson
© 2026 Universal Pictures / Lionsgate

Michael is the family’s cash cow, and Joseph is keen to make sure he can keep cashing checks on his growing fame.

Many biopics about famous people include horrific, abusive family dynamics—so much so one might wonder if it’s a barrier to entry for stardom. This film sets up a compelling dynamic between Michael and Joseph and places all the dramatic elements before us, only to give them mostly surface treatment. When the film could go deep into the emotional turmoil, it switches to Michael’s career.

We never really get a sense that Michael’s personal well-being, or his career, is actually threatened by Joseph. He becomes just a snarling villain who’s all belt and little bite.

Miles Teller as John Branca
© 2026 Universal Pictures / Lionsgate

The film feels like it needs to pick a lane: Michael’s music career or his struggle to get out of his father’s darkly magnetic shadow. While the film could have been seamlessly about both, it keeps the storylines separate, and we see the lane changes before the film flips the turn signal. It never really works and rarely goes deep enough to feel Michael’s painful upbringing and his deep struggle to go solo.

Valdi is believable as young Michael, and in many ways, gives a more fully realized performance than Jaafar, Michael’s actual nephew and the second son of Michael’s brother Jermaine. Jaafar captures Michael’s voice and mannerisms, but seems to have a hard time settling into his uncle’s persona. That said, when Jaafar is recreating one of Jackson’s musical performances, it’s hard to remember we’re not watching the real thing.

Jaafar Jackson as Michael in Thriller
© 2026 Universal Pictures / Lionsgate

The film’s flaws aside, it’s hard not to get nostalgic watching some of Michael’s most iconic ‘80s moments. The filming of the music video for Michael Jackson: Thriller. The invention of the moonwalk. For me, the nostalgia was there and worth the price of admission—if only to hear Beat It in Dolby Atmos surround sound.

I remember being an elementary school kid when the music video for Thriller first played on MTV. It was a short film with the music baked in. We didn’t have MTV at our house, so I had to sneak over to a friend’s to watch it. It was an awesome experience—until I had to walk home through our dark apartment courtyard to the unit my family lived in. It was the shortest walk home, because I ran at breakneck speed, terrified zombies would come out from behind the playground equipment or the bushes. I made it home, heart pounding as I closed the door behind me.

A smile crept across my face. Safe and sound. The song’s beat and melody seemed to pulse with my heartbeat. How I wish this film evoked that nostalgia. Sadly, it plays more like an elevator-music, orchestral cover of Jackson’s music than the real thing. It has moments of fun and others that miss the mark entirely. It’s a film that manages to be entertaining while remaining anything but thrilling.