Michael

Everyone is put on this earth for a reason. We all have our own paths, but only a few are meant to truly entertain. For me, names like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson come to mind. Of those three, though, only one I got to experience at his peak—and that was Michael.

I was eleven years old when Thriller came out, both musically and thematically, I’ve never experienced anything like it since.

Now Antoine Fuqua takes on the challenge of capturing that magic with his new film Michael. The question is: does it capture the thrill… or does it fall flat?

Most of us already know Michael Jackson’s story. His father, Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo), works in a steel mill in Gary, Indiana, but wants more for his children. He pushes his five sons—led by a young Michael (Juliano Valdi)—to become something bigger, because in his mind, life comes down to winners and losers.

It doesn’t take long to see that Michael is special.

As he grows up, Michael begins to want more control over his own music and creativity. After the success of his first solo album, Michael (Jaafar Jackson) is ready to step fully into his own spotlight. But Joe has other plans, hoping to use Michael’s success to elevate the entire family.

Breaking away isn’t easy.

While his mother, Katherine (Nia Long), understands his need for independence, separating from Joe proves much harder. Of course, we know how this story goes—Michael eventually becomes the biggest pop star in the world.

Written by John Logan, Michael feels less like a traditional biopic and more like a celebration of Jackson’s life and legacy. There’s a lot of gloss here, but not a lot of depth. The film spends very little time developing supporting characters outside of Joe. For example, Quincy Jones—who played a huge role in creating Thriller—barely factors into the story, and Michael’s siblings are more or less background figures.

That all feels intentional.

Fuqua seems focused on presenting a very specific version of Jackson—almost saint-like. We see him caring for sick children and referring to his fans as family, but the film avoids digging into anything more complicated.

For fans, that approach might work.

Michael turns the volume all the way up on the music and the moments people love. But once you get past that, there isn’t much beneath the surface. The film doesn’t seem interested in revealing anything new or exploring the deeper layers of who Jackson was.

That leaves most of the cast with little to do, though Domingo is strong as always. The real standout is Jaafar Jackson, who truly shines whenever he’s performing. When he’s on stage—recreating moments like the Motown 25 performance or working through the choreography of “Beat It”—that’s when the film comes alive.

Those are easily the best parts.

The rest, though, feels a bit flat. With so much material to work with, you can’t help but wonder if a different storytelling approach—something like Steve Jobs, which focused on key moments—might have worked better.

Still, for all its flaws, Michael is still entertaining. It just feels a little shallow, lacking the emotional depth you might expect from a story and a life like this.

If you’re looking for a movie full of music, nostalgia, and iconic moments, it delivers. But if you’re hoping for something deeper, you might walk away a bit let down.