I screened the biopic “Michael” while in Spain, watching the original English version with Spanish subtitles and a predominantly Spanish-speaking audience. Even in the dark, you could feel it—people subtly moving to the beat during a nostalgic sweep from 1958 Gary, Indiana and the rise of the Jackson 5 to 1988 London during Michael’s Bad Tour.
I enjoyed seeing it on the big screen, but it ultimately only scratches the surface. The film avoids a deep dive into the details of Michael Jackson’s very complicated life. It leans instead on his early success, family dynamics and the formative influences that shaped Michael’s personality.
With the exception of Joe Jackson’s strict management style and the traumatic Pepsi commercial injury, much of the story is presented through a polished, almost rose-tinted lens.
In that sense, “Michael” resembles the recent concert-style biopic “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert." Both showcase extraordinary performers, emphasize career evolution and stage presence, and both are built around performance rather than deep biography. The key difference is that Elvis is portrayed by archival footage of himself, and Michael is played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson.
Jaafar, the son of Jermaine Jackson, was born in 1996 and 13 years old when Michael passed away. The role wasn’t written for him. He was selected after a lengthy two-year casting process. Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine, supported the decision, saying he “embodies” her son.
The film does touch on family dynamics—the pressure from his father, his closeness with his mother, and loyalty to his brothers—but it doesn’t go much deeper than that.
What it does make clear is scale. I’ve seen major stadium shows, including Bruce Springsteen in front of 70,000 fans, but Michael Jackson’s level of global appeal feels like something on another level.
The film opens and closes at Wembley Stadium in 1988 during the Bad Tour, where he performed seven sold-out shows to roughly half a million people in a single city. Whatever else you say about him, that is a level of cultural magnitude few performers ever reach.
The final caption—“His Story Continues”—signals a Part II could be coming. Whether it explores more difficult chapters remains to be seen.
“Michael” is rated PG-13 and runs 2 hours and 7 rhythmic minutes.
