If you’re looking to find dark secrets from Michael Jackson’s life in Antoine Fuqua’s new biopic, “Michael” isn’t the film for you.
“Michael” starts in the mid-1960s when The Jackson 5 started practicing in their home. Juliano Valdi stars as young Michael, when his professional relationship begins with the rest of his family, mainly his father, Joseph Jackson. The Jacksons travel far and wide to play gigs big and small, eventually catching the eye of Motown Records, sending their stardom to the top with their first album, “ABC.”
Jaafar Jackson stars as the King of Pop when the film hits the late 70s, which was when Michael decided to pursue his first adult solo album, “Off the Wall.” The film travels through the ups and downs of Michael’s career and his complicated relationship with his father, and ends in 1988 when his album “Bad” was newly released.
Going into the theater, I already knew this was going to become a new obsession of mine, which it did immediately after. As someone who grew up listening to Michael and learning his dances in elementary school, this was a no-brainer to go see opening weekend.
Through the trailers and advertisements leading up to the film’s release, I could already tell this was not going to be a film that left me completely shocked, and I didn’t expect to find new facts about the Jackson family. This was fun and exciting, nonetheless, and it felt like I was at a Michael Jackson concert.
It honestly felt like a breath of fresh air to see a biopic that wasn’t trying to share something audiences haven’t heard before or trying to put the performer in a bad light. What made this story so enjoyable was that it was mainly about Michael’s music career, with subtle hints of his personal life. Yes, at some points I did think that I would have liked to learn more about the Jackson family, but the story’s focus was not on the family at all.
What blew me away was the actors’ performances. As Jaafar Jackson is Michael’s nephew and already has the musical genes, I believe no one else could have played him. The film recreated the “Thriller” music video and Michael’s “Billie Jean” performance from Motown 25 in 1983. I got full-body chills on how similar everything was, not just from Jaafar’s performance, but the way it was made; it was like I was watching the recordings for the first time again.
Colman Domingo played Joseph Jackson, and I know he did a good job because I will not be able to look at him the same again. Throughout the story, you see how Joseph thought his actions were good for his son’s career while the rest of the Jacksons felt the opposite. I was even surprised by Miles Teller’s performance as John Branca, Michael’s lawyer. I was skeptical to see Teller in this film and in a role like this. Even though Teller’s part was small, I was pleasantly surprised to clearly see the comfortable relationship Branca and Michael built throughout his career.
Other than a reason to hear Michael’s music in a movie theater, an important factor I was anticipating was the connection between this film and the Queen biopic that was released in 2018. Graham King was the producer on both “Michael” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” I have seen the prior biopic countless times, including four times when it was in theaters, so I came into this 2026 film with high expectations. I truly believe that the reason this film felt like a concert for the whole two hours is that the people behind it know how to make a good biopic.
Talks of a second part to Michael’s story being in the early stages bring me a sense of relief. When I walked out of the theater, I told my mom, “This will probably be the last good biopic.” In all honesty, Michael Jackson is the best artist to ever exist, and there won’t ever be someone as good as him. So, a second movie may not be as good, but at least we get the pleasure to continue the story on how Michael was crowned the king.
Abby Madsen can be reached at mads3817@stthomas.edu.
