Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) directs the film scripted by John Logan (Gladiator, Aviator), beginning with the Jackson family living in Gary, Indiana. At the time, the family patriarch, Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo – excellent in the role), is working in a job he wants to escape. To do so, he conjures up a plan to make his five male children into a musical band, play gigs that pay and become famous. In many hard scenes to watch, it is clear he does not care about their rest for school the next day, nor their opinion. Young Michael (portrayed by Juliano Krue Valdi) is shown to be severely punished. Brutal Joe Jackson forced them into becoming the Jackson 5. This father and son dynamic is what runs through the docudrama as the years go by and Michael (Jaafar Jackson, his nephew) is no longer a minor.
Some people have commented that they are on the fence about going to see the film. Perhaps they are not sure of what to expect. If anyone is looking for something dramatic about the stories and allegations that were stated during the years he was alive, these are not incorporated into this biopic. It most certainly highlights his work in the industry and how he approached becoming the artist he wanted to be, not what he was told to be.
The music in the Michael film covers Jackson 5, as well as the Off the Wall and Thriller releases, and is produced by Graham King (Bohemian Rhapsody). I will admit while the music was playing and Michael was on stage; my feet and head were fully bopping as I watched the film. There is an emphasis on Michael seeking freedom from the domineering father and especially, removing him from the role of his manager. That is a very good scene! Katherine Jackson (Nia Long), known as Mother, and Michael are shown to have a wonderful and close bond, but there is a scene to indicate that they did not always discuss the situation with the abusive father or other concerns the young man was living with.
Michael became an adult, continued with his success and yet had his life described as a living in the family home, his room full of children’s toys and books, as well as the varied and growing animals. The arrival of Bubbles the chimp surprised his family members, and I think this also shows the audience how this man-child functioned behind the scenes.
I recall someone commenting on his nose when he was a minor. He held onto that thought and “fixed it” with cosmetic surgery when did not need to get his parent’s permission.
John Branca (Miles Teller) is hired by Michael to be his manager in place of his father. Here is another great scene of how John processes Michael’s request to act quickly. I think many of us laughed out loud to see how this was done. Some people of a certain age may not recognize the technology of that era used to contact his father. Think of the generation who did not know how to use a rotary dial phone to place a call back in the day. Branca quickly became a close confidant to Michael and is a producer of this film.
As played by Jaafar Jackson, he captures so much of Michael as a child and as an adult. The crowd scenes, both in and out of venues, are realistically captured by the filmmakers. His performance is remarkable, and as I was watching him sing and dance, I could easily get lost and forget I was not seeing a video of the real Micheal from the past decades.
Michael is in some theaters Thursday, April 23, 2026, and is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for some thematic material, language, and smoking. Running time: 127 minutes.
Source; Lionsgate
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