Michael

I’m a complete sucker for a music biopic. There’s something about seeing the story behind an iconic artist that just pulls me in every time. Rocketman is still one of my favourites. Bohemian Rhapsody as well. Even Elvis had moments that genuinely floored me. So when Michael hit cinemas, I knew it was heading straight to the top of my list.

I also grew up with Michael Jackson’s music. It was everywhere. The radio, music television, family barbecues, school discos. Walking into this one felt personal in a way that not many films do.

Before we get into it, worth knowing what this film is and what it isn’t. It covers Michael’s rise to superstardom: the Jackson 5, the early solo career, the peak. It doesn’t touch the controversies of his later life. That was a deliberate choice, and honestly, I think it was the right one.

Growing Up Jackson

The film’s strongest material is in the opening act. Michael growing up inside the Jackson family. It’s gripping from the start. You feel the dynamic immediately: the brothers’ bond, Katherine’s warmth, and Joe’s relentless drive. As the Jackson 5 break through, you watch their world transform. More success, more money, more expectations. But underneath all of it is a kid carrying more than any child should.

As Michael moves into his solo career, the relationship with Joe becomes the emotional engine of the film. Joe has controlled everything for years. Michael knows he needs to take the wheel. Those scenes are uncomfortable at times, but they work because you understand both men, even when you don’t agree with either of them.

Jaafar Jackson and Colman Domingo

Now let’s talk performances, because this is where the film earns its place.

Jaafar Jackson is extraordinary. There were moments where I lost track of who I was watching. The physicality, the movement, the voice. He’s absorbed all of it. But what makes it work is that it never tips into impression. It feels like acting, not mimicry. That’s a hard line to walk when you’re playing someone as iconic as Michael Jackson, and he stays on the right side of it throughout.

Don’t sleep on Colman Domingo either. He plays Joe Jackson, and he’s magnetic in every scene. I’ve been a fan of his for a while now. I really enjoyed him in Disclosure Day, and if you haven’t seen him in Netflix’s The Four Seasons, I’d point you straight there. He’s the kind of performer who can hold your attention while saying almost nothing. His scenes opposite Jaafar are some of the best in the film. You feel decades of tension in every exchange. Joe Jackson is a man capable of building a legacy and breaking the people inside it at the same time. Domingo never lets you forget either half of that.

The Music, and the Makeup

Of course, the music has to deliver. And it does. Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller, Bad, Smooth Criminal. One after another, they just keep coming. I found myself smiling through so many of those sequences. The film also takes time to show the creative process, Michael working alongside Quincy Jones, and those scenes are fascinating. One of my favourite stretches covers the making of Thriller. Seeing how that music video came together was a real highlight. It’s a reminder that Michael Jackson wasn’t just producing hits. He was reshaping culture.

It’s not a perfect film. The prosthetic makeup is the biggest issue. Michael’s appearance changed dramatically over the years and the film has to cover that, but there were moments where I was watching the makeup rather than the performance underneath it. It’s not enough to break the film, but it is distracting in places. The pacing is the other thing. Michael Jackson’s life is enormous, and fitting it into one film means some chapters fly past too quickly. I didn’t feel short-changed, but I did leave wanting more.

The film closes around the Bad Tour in 1988, Michael at the absolute peak of his powers. It feels deliberate. The door is clearly open for more, and given how much of his story remains untold, I’d be very interested to see where they take it.

Final thoughts. This one’s hard to fault for long. Some of the pacing is rushed and the prosthetics pull you out occasionally, but the performances are excellent, the music is phenomenal, and Jaafar Jackson does something remarkable in the lead role. The best measure of a music biopic is what you do when you get home. I went straight to YouTube and spent an hour deep in Michael Jackson’s catalogue. That’s not a coincidence. That’s the film doing exactly what it should.