Michael (2026) – Review and Summary

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“Michael” Film Details

• Director(s): Antoine Fuqua
• Writer(s): John Logan
• Distributor: Lionsgate
• Runtime: 2 Hour(s) and 7 Minutes
• Public Release Date (In Theaters): April 22, 2026
• Genre(s): Drama, Young Adult, Biopic, Historical
• Content Rating: Rated PG-13
• Primary Language: English
• Images © of / Courtesy Of Lionsgate

Movie Summary

Michael covers the life of Michael Jackson from 1966 to 1988, from when Michael was just starting to become big with his brothers, as a member of The Jackson 5, to the start of the Bad world tour. A large focus of the film isn’t just Michael’s music career, but also Joe Jackson’s influence on it, and their tumultuous relationship. One that clearly had an effect on Michael mentally, emotionally, and is even painted as one of the reasons for his physical transformation.

Cast and Characters

Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson)

• Character Summary: One of the biggest musicians to have ever lived, who started off as a poor kid from Gary, Indiana, and ended up setting the standard for not only what it means to be a wealthy musician, but also a top-level performer and a global icon.

Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo)

• Character Summary: The man behind the icon, mostly known for accusations of abusing his children, but depicted as the person who made them seek perfection in their work and never rest on their laurels.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

If You Love Michael Jackson Primarily For His Music & Performances, This Is For You [83/100]

There are generally two types of biopics, each with its own plus and minuses. Films like Michael are the type that are about recreating or reliving the best moments of a celebrity or icon. That means seeing Michael do the moonwalk at the Motown 25 celebration. The making of the Thriller video or seeing him play with Bubbles, the monkey.

It is all about supporting what you know about the star, and allowing those who weren’t alive to experience those moments, and tap into the nostalgia for those who were. All the while, lightly touching upon some of the obstacles, rivalries, or tragic moments. For example, there is a mention of Michael’s rivalry with Prince, noting the effects of his hair catching on fire after that Pepsi commercial debacle, and moments that help you understand him to a certain degree.

Then there are the would-be personal, or darker moments. As noted in the summary, part of Michael’s issues with his nose seems to stem from Joe pointing out the size of it. The reason for the glove? Because of Michael’s vitiligo, and covering that up. You could even say, regarding Michael’s eventual death, it is set up in the film by showing that the Pepsi incident, likely combined with dancing all his life, led to him needing the cocktail of drugs he used that ultimately killed him in 2009.

Michael pushes you to both relive the life of a superstar and feigns the notion that it wants you to see behind the curtain as well. But, it could be submitted, it doesn’t want you to see or know anything that could damage the brand.

Low Point(s)

It Feels Very Surface Level Regarding Most of Michael’s Work and Personal Relationships [64/100]

But the other type of biopics are the ones that don’t put the titular figure on a pedestal, but allow you to see them more eye-to-eye. From what I’ve been told, to a point, the 1992 “The Jacksons: An American Dream” is a less sanitized version of Michael. One that isn’t warts and all, but does allow a less idealized version of Michael Jackson.

For while, yes, he has a terse relationship with Joe, the film doesn’t touch much on the challenges of his other relationships. Be it evolving beyond his professional relationship and dynamic with Quincy Jones, his relationship with Paul McCartney after gaining ownership of the Beatles catalog (in 1985, which the film ends past), or any moment that could paint him in a negative light, even in an ambiguous way.

Heck, even why he and his brothers, sans one, left Motown, is omitted. Leaving you with a film that keeps you from knowing its subject deeper, benefiting from family involvement beyond access to his music catalog, and seeming like the worst thing a biopic can be: A means to boost sales.

On The Fence

It Humanizes Joe Jackson To The Point Of Being Unsure How Bad Of A Person He Was [79/100]

While the makeup and prosthetics on Colman Domingo can be unnerving, there is no denying that, as Joe, he made a man most of us have been trained to hate into a more tragic figure than Michael. Here is a man who hated his life and job, and worked hard so his kids could have better.

Then, when one really made it big, he didn’t focus all on him, but wanted to use that fame so the family could eat, the other brothers could get notably big, and keep it all in the family. And this isn’t to excuse Joe’s abuse, which is depicted to a point, or the many omitted sins the movie doesn’t cover. But that is the plus and minus of Domingo portraying him. You get to see Joe humanized far more than Michael and Domingo’s charm makes it so, you may not like the methods, but you are pushed to recognize the end result.

Joe may have been hard on his kids, but that is what led to Michael Jackson being who he is, Janet Jackson being who she is, and while the rest may not be on such a high pedestal, their success is a byproduct of Joe being driven as he was. And watching that work, sacrificing his relationship with his children so they could be the best, and not get the credit for that, just their memories of hurt, it can become a bit heartbreaking. I’d even say it pushes you to want to know Joe’s story beyond what is commonly known or depicted in Michael.

Overall

Our Rating (75/100): Mixed (Divisive)

Michael is a commercial biopic. It’s carefully constructed more to appease fans, let them live, or relive moments, than truly address who the titular character was, outside of the narrative, which best benefits their estate. Ultimately, creating an enjoyable product, but one which feels more like a long commercial, meant to boost sales rather than be one of the final and unabashedly true mass-marketed releases about a global icon.

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