“Michael” Review: A Concert Disguised as a Biopic, and Fans Will Love It

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (See It or Skip It) – Few artists have ever lived a life as mythologized, scrutinized, and culturally game-changing as Michael Jackson. “Michael” traces his rise from a child star in The Jackson 5 to the most famous entertainer on the planet. It centers on the tension between his complicated, often bruising relationship with his father, Joe Jackson, and his need to be independent and free to create for himself as he climbs through superstardom, culminating in the release of his landmark seventh studio album, Bad.

I grew up on the Bad album, rewinding a worn-out cassette over and over again. Those songs were some of my earliest memories of music hitting me in a way that made my body move before my brain could even process it. I’ll admit it, “Fat” was technically my introduction (sorry, not sorry), but once I actually heard “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Black or White,” there was no resisting the pull to just get up and dance.

I brought a friend who’s a die-hard fan to this screening, someone who knows the history inside and out, because I wanted to experience that energy with someone who gets it. Someone who could feel those moments the way the movie wants you to feel them, because when it leans into that concert-like celebration, it evokes that shared memory and connection to music. But at the same time, sitting there with someone who knows the full scope of Michael Jackson also reminds you of what’s missing. The film soars in those highs, but it’s in the more complicated spaces where it chooses not to go that you start to feel the gap between celebration and truth.

Where the film really shines is with its performances. Colman Domingo brings a commanding presence as Joe Jackson that feels the most layered yet softened from what history has revealed about his abusive relationship with his family. No doubt Domingo will be nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Jaafar Jackson has the impossible task of stepping into his uncle’s shoes, and somehow, he completely embodies him, capturing the voice, movement, and magnetism in a way that feels eerily authentic without tipping into caricature. Another standout, even in limited screen time, is our young Michael, Juliano Valdi, who makes a big impression as the charming kid who became the legend we know today.

Cinematographer Dion Beebe also does a stellar job shooting close-ups, which makes every shot of Michael intimate. It pulls you directly into Michael’s headspace rather than just observing it from a distance. But that same intensity comes with a tradeoff; there are multiple sequences packed with flashing concert lights and strobe-heavy moments. If you’re sensitive to that or have epilepsy, you’ll want to tread carefully. Director Antoine Fuqua is clearly such a fan of Michael, and you feel that with every concert sequence. The fans are portrayed as almost feral, and the shows heavily feature crowds screaming, cameras moving, and stunning performances. This is where most people will be leaving the theater completely satisfied and happy to have seen it on the largest screen possible, but more importantly, with the best sound.

Does this film do anything different from what we’ve seen done in just about every music biopic? No. This is a very safe movie, and one that sticks closely to the familiar rise, struggle, triumph formula without really challenging it. It plays the hits and keeps things moving, but rarely takes the kind of risks that would elevate it into something more revealing or artistically bold. For some audiences, especially fans, that’s going to be enough. But for anyone hoping for a deeper, more daring exploration of Michael Jackson, it ultimately feels like a missed opportunity to push beyond the surface.

At the end of the day, this is one of those movies where your expectations will determine your experience. If you’re walking in looking for a raw, all-encompassing portrait of Michael Jackson, you’ll probably feel that missing. But if you’re here for the music, the movement, and that larger-than-life energy that made him who he was, this absolutely delivers. The performances soar, the concert sequences are fun, and there’s a real electricity in the room that’s hard to deny. Fans especially are going to eat this up; it’s built for them. And while it may play things safe, it plays them well enough to land firmly in “See It” territory, especially if you just want to feel that music again, turned all the way up.

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