Michael Film Review: Jaafar Jackson Stars in Antoine Fuqua’s Biopic That Misses the Man Behind the Music

The new Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson in the title role, arrives in theaters on April 24, 2026, offering a chronological look at the King of Pop’s early career while avoiding the controversies that later defined his legacy.

The film, produced with the blessing of Jackson’s estate, traces his journey from a shy child in Gary, Indiana, performing with the Jackson 5 under the strict guidance of his father Joe (played by Colman Domingo), to his emergence as a solo superstar culminating in the 1988 Bad World Tour in London. Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real-life nephew, portrays the adult Michael, while Juliano Valdi plays him as a child.

Early scenes depict the Jackson family’s struggles, including Joseph Jackson’s harsh discipline, such as cracking his belt on young Michael for minor infractions. These moments are described in the source as “unpleasant to watch” but also “the ones that feel the least burnished and most truthful.” The film highlights Michael’s loneliness and his tendency to seek companionship in unusual pets, telling his mother Katherine (Nia Long) that animals like his chimp Bubbles “are not my pets, they’re my friends.”

As Michael grows older, the narrative focuses on his fraught relationship with his father, who remains a controlling presence even as Michael achieves success with Motown Records and later albums like Off the Wall and Thriller. The source notes that Joseph’s “sour, angry face is, paradoxically, the movie’s guiding star: he controls the narrative as he controlled his son’s life.” Despite Michael’s attempts to gain artistic freedom, the film suggests he never fully escaped his father’s influence.

The film deliberately ends before the allegations of child sexual abuse that surfaced in the 1990s, a choice noted in multiple reviews. As one critic observed, the movie “removes everything that might be deemed dramatic” and “might be deemed contentious,” resulting in what another described as “a bland and barely competent daytime TV movie.” Despite this, Jaafar Jackson’s physical resemblance to his uncle was widely acknowledged, though some questioned his ability to convey deeper emotion.

The source concludes that while the film captures triumphs and early struggles, it “falls so far short of the complete picture that they barely capture the essence of Michael Jackson: he was an entertainer who brought intense joy to others even as he could barely feel it himself.” The movie’s epilogue, stating “His story continues,” leaves open the possibility of a sequel, though the source suggests such a follow-up would be unlikely to address the more troubling aspects of Jackson’s legacy.

In death, as in life, Jackson deserves much better than family and friends who’ll milk him for all he’s worth.