Michael (2026)

Michael

• I had a decent amount of hype for this, but it didn’t really live up to my expectations as much as I wanted it to. Sure, it’s got hype moments and aura, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t feel like there’s too much substance. I do think the 37% on Rotten Tomatoes is a bit ridiculous, because by no means is it a bad film. However, it feels like a greatest hits compilation as opposed to actual storytelling. Michael Jackson’s life is so complex, and a second film is definitely warranted, because I didn’t walk away from this with anything new. It goes over 1966 until 1988 (I think?), and though it covers plenty of ground, a lot of the plot is just his music recording, performing, and touring. Every little bit you get some family drama, but again, it feels like a greatest hits reel. However, a lot of stuff still stands out. The performances are all really good, and though there’s a couple moments that do feel a bit cosplay-ish, most everything else was absolutely fantastic. Jaafar Jackson was a brilliant choice for the role, with Colman Domingo and Juliano Valdi also standing out big time. The costumes (for the main characters) were very reminiscent of the times, with some of the outfits actually being from Michael’s wardrobe. Especially both in the Billie Jean and Bad segments. Absolutely gorgeous. The visuals were decent, with eye popping colors but nothing too extraordinary. And of course, the soundtrack is absolutely stellar, which was to be expected. There’s so many scenes where I was tapping my foot and singing along, and every concert scene gave me goosebumps. Unfortunately, between the music, it just seems like fluff. Overall, it’s a decent depiction of his life (up until the late 80’s), but I would’ve liked to see a lot more detail of major events and family ties. I did enjoy it for the most part, but I did not feel blown away or starstruck. As electric as Michael Jackson was, this is a very generic biopic. But I’m very curious to see what happens with the sequel. I would probably recommend this to most musical biopic fans, but it’s nothing too over the top.