If you’re going to tackle a biopic about the King of Pop, you have to bring your A-game; and Antoine Fuqua does just that with Michael, a deep dive into the life of the greatest entertainer of all time. Fuqua made a bold casting choice by tapping Jaafar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson and nephew to Michael, in the lead role. While Jackson’s career spanned over five decades, the film plays out like a beautifully crafted highlight reel of his rise to fame, his family relationships, including his complicated dynamic with his father, and his ultimate conquest of the music world. In an era when artists of color weren’t dominating the charts, Jackson shattered records left and right, and Michael is a beautiful retelling of a complicated artist who gave the world everything he had and then some.
One thing that stands out immediately is that Jackson and his music are the central focus. Fuqua chose to highlight the entertainer rather than the headlines, sidestepping the more controversial moments of his life. This makes for an electric portrait of his greatness, showcasing the iron discipline of patriarch Joseph Jackson, who drove his five boys — The Jackson 5 — relentlessly toward success. Through those early years, we see moments where Michael appears robbed of a childhood, yet emerges as the undisputed best in his lane. The biopic traces his rise to global superstardom without missing a beat: the talent, the pressure, the relentless pursuit of greatness. The one glaring omission? Janet Jackson is missing entirely. She neither appears in the film nor attended the premiere, nor did Michael’s daughter Paris.
Nia Long delivers a warm portrayal of Katherine Jackson, embodying the tenderness and nurturing spirit that clearly shaped who Michael became. Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, however, is the film’s standout performance and one of his career bests. In fact an early frontrunner for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. His portrayal of a complex tyrant with little regard for his children’s well-being is riveting, and his physical transformation through makeup and contacts, paired with his intimidating demeanor, makes him nearly unrecognizable. Jaafar Jackson is absolutely electric in what is his feature film debut, embodying his uncle with an uncanny fluidity that leaves you in awe. He moves like the legend himself — which, given the bloodline, perhaps isn’t so surprising. Close your eyes, and his soft, child-like voice is nearly identical to Michael’s. Juliano Valdi is also a force as the younger Michael, capturing how The Jackson 5 captured hearts with that enormous voice at such a tender age.
The film’s greatest strength is the recreation of Michael’s musical moments, from electrifying stage performances to intimate studio sessions where we watch him craft some of the biggest songs ever recorded, to the filming of the “Thriller” music video (remarkably, they returned to the exact original location to recreate the iconic dance sequence). Jaafar’s performances carry enormous energy, and there are moments where you genuinely feel like you’re watching archival footage from a real live show.
Going in, it’s important to understand what this film is and isn’t. Michael is a celebration of the rise of arguably the greatest entertainer the world has ever seen — not a comprehensive chronicle of one man’s highs and lows. If Fuqua had aimed to capture every major moment of Jackson’s life, we’d have a 14-hour film, and that was never the intention. That creative choice has become the film’s most controversial talking point, and fairly so — some of the darker moments could have added dimension and humanized him further. We do get one brief glimpse at what may have been his introduction to painkillers, perhaps the closest the film gets to acknowledging the struggles that defined his final years. But even without those threads, Michael does a masterful job of showcasing the peak of a legend who is often imitated and never duplicated.
Fuqua brings his signature directorial command to the film’s large-scale sequences, reflecting Jackson’s cultural dominance with confidence. The casting is largely solid, though Miles Teller as attorney John Branca is a minor distraction. His facial prosthetics and hairpiece drew unintended laughs from the audience during close-ups. Ultimately, Michael reminds the world why it fell in love with Michael Jackson: his music, his enormous heart, and his one-of-a-kind artistry. If you’re looking for drama and controversy, this film will disappoint you. But for fans of the artist, it is a wonderful window into the icon’s greatest moments; especially for those of us who never had the fortune of seeing him perform live. A follow-up has been hinted at, and rightfully so, no single film could ever contain the full story of Michael Jackson.
Michael premieres in theaters April 24th
