Michael Jackson is one of the greatest musicians of all time, with a legendary career that defined a generation and whose influence can still be felt today. Various films and TV series have been made over the decades to tell his story or focus on certain periods of his life, but the 2026 adaptation from the producer of Bohemian Rhapsody, Graham King, and the director of Training Day, Antoine Fuqua, is aiming to be the definitive feature film to tell the story of the King of Pop. Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson, makes his acting debut to portray his legendary uncle in Michael, now moonwalking into cinemas worldwide.  

Michael is a biographical film that chronicles the life of Michael Jackson, exploring his journey from a child star in the 60s as part of the Jackson 5 and the legendary career he created in the decades that followed. The film takes a deep dive into his artistic genius, iconic performances, and even his personal challenges. 

Before Jaafar takes centre, the story begins with Juliano Krue Valdi as Michael during his childhood and the beginning of the Jackson 5. It’s well known that Michael wasn’t able to have a normal childhood due to his father’s strict, controlling and abusive behaviour, and Juliano expresses perfectly that on screen, as he sees other kids having fun while he’s stuck rehearsing at home. You really feel for him when his father disciplines him with tough love.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, of course, as he truly embodies the child version of Michael, recreating all his dance moves during this period and even his personality, mannerisms and passion for performing. While Juliano is only in the film before Michael enters his teenage years, he certainly leaves a lasting impression and illustrates the long-term effects of his upbringing. 

Jaafar Jackson is the son of Jermaine Jackson, who was also part of the Jackson 5 and the nephew of Michael Jackson. Jaafar is also a singer, but only a few of his songs have been released, and Michael marks his official acting debut. There has been enormous pressure on Jaafar leading up to the film’s release to bring his famous uncle to life on the big screen. 

Michael Jackson fans can rest assured that Jaafar absolutely nails it from his physical appearance and its changes, soft-spoken voice, personality, mannerisms and of course, his iconic dance moves. 

He also shows MJ’s creative process and determination of not just writing his songs that instantly became big hits, but also shows how hands-on he was with every creative aspect of his music videos and how they should be filmed, teaching and directing other dancers, and him talking about his persona, mystique and stage presence. Seeing him tap his thigh, click his fingers, hum and bob his head to the rhythm of recognisable tunes as he develops his own songs creates so much excitement and anticipation as they come to fruition. 

His love for animals is also evident in the rats, snakes, llamas, giraffes, and more living at his house, which he refers to as his friends rather than his pets. Of course, his famous animal friend, a chimpanzee named Bubbles, appears in the film and even though CGI was used and might look a little out of place, they get to show the close bond they had, especially since it was hard for Michael to have normal friends due to his fame. 

There are also plenty of scenes of Michael visiting children in the hospital and bringing smiles to their faces, showing his fondness for them and his willingness to do anything he can to help them have better lives, even if they don’t have much time left. Jaafar portrays this side of Michael beautifully on screen, giving more insight into why he cared so much for children, not the joke the media turned it into in the 90s and early 2000s. Those who were around when those allegations surfaced will get to see a whole new perspective on Michael and why he cared so much for children. 

Audiences will also see his love for Peter Pan, which many might’ve found odd, since he applied elements of the story to his life, but the movie illustrates how he used it as an escape from reality and a coping mechanism for life’s hardships. This stems from the childhood he never had and the estranged relationship he had with his father, whom he and his siblings had to refer to by his first name, Joseph. 

His father, best known as Joe Jackson, is played by Colman Domingo, and his performance will make audiences fear him as his children did. He was known to be strict, controlling, and abusive, and all of that is displayed throughout the film at different stages of Michael’s life, a stark contrast to the happy, upbeat Michael Jackson we saw in his music videos, concerts, and other public appearances.

Seeing him physically beat Michael is tough to watch, but it shows what Michael’s life was like behind closed doors. He is easily the movie’s villain, but audiences will also see him as someone who wanted to give his family the best life possible, despite his selfish attitude. 

Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, is portrayed by Nia Long. She may not be in the film as much, but her scenes are impactful, showing her as the loving, caring, and nurturing mother Michael needed. Even when she isn’t able to intervene during Joe’s disciplining of Michael, it’s easy to see the pain on her face and her desire to do more. She is the complete opposite of Joe’s tough love methods and even has some character development, too. 

The rest of the Jackson 5 are featured in the film as teenagers and adults with Jayden Harville and Jamal R. Henderson as Jermaine, Jaylen Lyndon Hunter and Tre Horton as Marlon, Judah Edwards and Rhyan Hill as Tito, Nathaniel Logan McIntyre and Joseph David-Jones as Jackie. They do feel more like background characters, but the film’s primary focus is on Michael and seeing them perform as the Jackson 5 will surely bring back some memories.

Jessica Sula plays Michael’s sister, La Toya Jackson, who isn’t in the film as much either, but does get some heartfelt moments with Michael. It would’ve been nice to see his sibling be more involved in the film, especially to see their reactions to Michael when he makes decisions for himself. Unfortunately, Janet Jackson is nowhere to be seen or mentioned, as she requested not to be portrayed in the film. 

Various other stars appear in the film as people who worked closely with Michael, such as Miles Teller as John Branca, his entertainment lawyer and manager; KeiLyn Durrel Jones as Bill Bray, his personal bodyguard for many years; and Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy, a record producer and founder of Motown. It’s interesting and insightful to see how instrumental they were in Michael’s life and the success, while also giving him guidance and life advice. 

As good as the entire cast is, the film doesn’t feel like it lives up to its full potential. It’s great to see different aspects of Michael’s life with all the highs and lows. The performances by the entire cast, no matter how big or small their roles were, are excellent, but some of their scenes felt a little rushed and didn’t give audiences enough time to process them before moving on to the next big chapter.

Michael had such an illustrious career that the stories of each big song could be their own movie, so it’s understandable that it’s going to be challenging to fit it all into a 2-hour movie. With how everything is pieced together, this movie feels more like a series of short films. 

Maybe a TV series or even a 3-hour movie might’ve done it more justice. That’s not to say that this is a bad film, and certainly didn’t deserve all the hate it’s gotten from other critics. What this film does well is go above and beyond. Juliano Krue Valdi and Jaafar Jackson bring Michael back to life, providing longtime fans an epic trip down memory lane and giving those less familiar some deep insight into the life of one of the greatest musicians of all time.

Even if some scenes could’ve been longer, they still leave a lasting impact. Both Juliano and Jaafar are able to show plenty of character development in their portrayals, which were done so well that it feels like we’re actually seeing the King of Pop himself on the big screen and not just an impersonation. 

Jaafar, being related to the man himself, does give the film a stronger connection, but it’s everything about his performance that truly sets him apart from other portrayals, and Juliano’s performance helps complete it. Michael Jackson’s life and career is a huge story to tell in a single film, with a runtime of 2 hours and 7 minutes that covers only his life up until 1988. The end of the film feels abrupt, leaving audiences wanting more. A sequel was implied via on-screen text and is confirmed to be in early development, and fans will be eagerly waiting for the next chapter of Michael Jackson. 

The latest film adaptation of Michael Jackson may not live up to its full potential with the way it was presented, but it still gets so many things right that any fan of the King of Pop will love and appreciate. It doesn’t shy away from some of his hardships either, with his estranged relationship with his father, not having a proper childhood and a few other incidents that occurred. Things about Michael that might have seemed bizarre from an outside perspective are now clearer after seeing it from his perspective, and the film absolutely deserves praise for that. This sets expectations high for the sequel to complete the story. 

Seeing Michael Jackson’s ideas turn into absolute spectacles on stage and the fans going crazy for him is truly something to behold. Many of us never got the chance to see the man perform live, but this film almost recreates the feeling of being there. He may have passed on 17 years ago, but he feels so alive thanks to the solid performances of Juliano Krue Valdi and Michael’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson. Michael is an epic trip down memory lane, and the story isn’t over yet. 

Written by: Sammy Hanson