MICHAEL (2026) – When the Music Starts, Michael Comes Alive
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
There is something rather strange about watching Michael. As a biographical account of Michael Jackson’s life, it is surprisingly superficial. Yet as a celebration of Michael Jackson the performer, it is often exhilarating. The film takes us from Michael’s younger days with the Jackson 5 through to the moment when he begins to break away from his brothers and establish himself as a solo artist. But instead of giving us a rich portrait of the people and relationships that shaped him, the story is largely told from Michael’s point of view. Everyone else seems to exist simply in relation to him.
The supporting characters are mostly cardboard figures without much identity of their own. Even Joe Jackson, who naturally plays an important part in Michael’s upbringing, is presented largely as the stereotypical bullying and abusive father. There is little attempt to explore the complicated dynamics within the Jackson family or what was really going on beneath the surface.
But when Michael steps up to the microphone the movie comes alive! Whether he is performing on stage, appearing on a television show, recording in the studio, shooting a music video or eventually standing before thousands of screaming fans in a stadium, these are the moments when Michael becomes something special.
The music is the movie’s saving grace—and then some. What I particularly enjoyed is that the filmmakers don’t simply throw in a few seconds of famous songs to remind us that Michael was a great performer. Many of the musical sequences are recreated with great care and allowed to play out almost in full. Watching these familiar performances come alive again is an absolute joy, particularly on the big screen.
And Jaafar Jackson is a revelation. Michael’s nephew takes on the daunting task of playing one of the most recognisable human beings on the planet and somehow manages to make you believe you are watching Michael himself. He captures Michael’s distinctive mannerisms and movements, but more importantly, he conveys the innocence and almost childlike purity that seemed to be such an intrinsic part of Michael’s personality.
It is during the musical numbers, however, that Jaafar truly becomes Michael. The way he moves, dances and performs has been recreated with such loving attention to detail that some scenes feel almost like time travel. These sequences are plentiful, and they elevate the movie considerably. They may not compensate entirely for the thin storytelling, but they transform Michael into something more than just another biopic. They turn it into a tribute to a musical genius.
There is also an interesting decision to end the story where it does. The film stops just as Michael is leaving the Jackson 5 behind and embarking on the next chapter of his career. We don’t get into the darker and far more complicated years of his adulthood, when unprecedented fame, controversy and scandal would become inseparable from his public image. That story has apparently been left for the sequel. And that sequel will have a much more difficult job. It will have to tread an extraordinarily thin line between celebrating Michael Jackson the legend and confronting the controversies surrounding Michael Jackson the man. Whether it chooses to honour, challenge or attempt to reconcile the two remains to be seen.
For now, though, Michael is best appreciated for what it does when the spotlight comes on and the music starts. The story may be superficial. The supporting characters may be thinly drawn. But when Michael Jackson grabs the microphone, the movie suddenly finds its heartbeat. And those moments are so spectacular, so lovingly recreated and so full of the magic of Michael Jackson that they ultimately make Michael an unforgettable tribute to a musical genius.
