Michael

What did it take for Michael Jackson to be truly independent? Not just as an artist but as an individual breaking away from control, pressure, and expectation. The film Michael aims to answer this not just by showing his rise from the Jackson 5 to a solo superstar, but also by showing the cost he paid to gain independence from his father and take full control of his life and career.

I grew up watching Michael Jackson’s music videos, so I was excited but also nervous to see this movie. The movie depicts the years 1966-1988 and shows some iconic moments that remind you why he became such a legend.  With biopics, acting is one thing, but when it comes to the vocals, that can make or break the film. I'm not looking for the actor to do a different take on the music; I want it to sound like the original or close to it. They pulled this off using original recordings and blended in Jaafar’s voice, which worked well. Michael Jackson is legendary, so it was either going to be really bad or really good, and I must say by the end, I really enjoyed it.

Michael is a musical biopic released in 2026 and stars Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, and Nia Long, and was directed by Antoine Fuqua. It has similar vibes to Bohemian Rhapsody, Straight Outta Compton, or Rocketman.

I was wondering what direction the film was going to go in and when it would end. The film chooses to focus on him gaining his independence, not as an artist but as a person from his father, who was so controlling. I love how a recurring theme was Michael not being able to look his father in the eye, and by the end, he was able to look him in the eye when he tells him and the crowd that’s it for the Jackson 5 performing together. It really showed how trying to please his father made him feel like he didn’t have freedom, even as an adult, but also that he was carrying the weight of his family on his back. I love how, after he separates so he can focus on his solo career, we see him play bad, which is a great way to end with Jackson starting a new era being more edgy.

The movie was filled with some great performances, but Juliano Krue Valdi, Jaafar, and Colman really stood out. Juliano really felt like he was giving his all, performing and trying to please his dad. He helped to understand why Michael was the center, even if he was the youngest, and how his talent shone from such a young age. Jaafar made me question a couple of times if I was watching Michael or an actor playing him. Jaafar showed how, as an adult, there was so much that Michael was trying to gain back that he missed as a child due to his father working them so hard. Colman did a good job playing Joe, who was just so controlling as the Jackson patriarch who instilled this sense of fear that none of his kids dared challenge. Joe kind of becomes a character you hate because you see how all he’s doing isn’t for his kids, but it’s for him. They both did a great job helping me be more invested in the story the film was telling.

Michael is shown to have many animals in the film. Fun Fact: Bubbles, Michael Jackson's chimp, is still alive and lives in a sanctuary in Florida

Michael Jackson had some crazy fans, which I felt the film captured perfectly. It showed the mania he produced and how people from all backgrounds and walks of life enjoyed his music. Even though the head of MTV had to be threatened to play his music videos, I think with his status, he was able to have more pull to be able to have that happen, which is just a show of his star power. With MTV growing slowly, their playing his videos would pull in more fans to listen to his music, but also would make MTV a popular place for artist to play music videos to bolster their popularity. I do wish we got more of how integral he was in MTV’s early success and how he is a huge factor in why music videos are so integral in marketing for music.

When Michael is in the hospital after getting his hair burnt off, they focus on the drugs, and I wonder if this was hinting at drug problems or his death. The scene is showing him recovering from a traumatic event, and he is just trying to get better with pressure from fans and his father alike. I do wonder if it was hinting that his trying to be the best made him make questionable choices with his health, or if it was just a coincidence. It is nice that even in this pain, Michael visited others in the hospital to bring them some comfort.

I wish they had shown more of his songwriting process as an artist. We see him working with Quincy and his garage studio, but I would've loved to see more about how some of these songs came to be giant hits and what some of his inspirations were. I think it would be cool to see more of his behind-the-scenes thought process to show how he was inspired and why these songs resonated with so many people. Like I loved the garage scene because it showed all his ideas and how he didn’t let any idea go to waste, but another part of it was the fact that he went in the middle of the night, which reminded me of how ideas come, and for creative people, they need to get those ideas out so they don’t forget them.

My favorite part was seeing the behind-the-scenes of him creating his music videos. Michael Jackson is known for these great videos, probably the best, and it was cool seeing them being filmed and how much the film got them to look like the original. It gave me insight into what Michael was trying to portray on screen and how he always fought for the vision that he wanted to see in his videos.

Michael was a great biopic that charts the legendary singer’s road to independence. The cast was great, and you already know the music is as well, and really transports you back.