MICHAEL (2026) REVIEW
I have returned out of my tumblr hiatus to review one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Here’s my review of Michael.
This is a beautifully made celebration of life for the greatest artist / entertainer of all time. It has its flaws and is formula-like for music biopics, but it avoids the many issues of over dramatizing someone’s life like others do. I wish that some of the cut content from the movie were in it to fill it out a lot more. There were some missed opportunities here and there but what we do have ends up actually being a miracle that we got it. The best thing this movie does that fans like me have been waiting for years for is humanize the man behind the music and drama. It shows a lot of Michael’s inner insecurities about himself, but showing the strength to persevere during the tough times. I can’t say enough about Jaafar Jackson’s performance of Michael Jackson, he gives one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in not just a biopic, but any movie. He balances the man and the myth perfectly. Juliano Valdi also gives a very emotional and convincing performance as Michael. One of the best scenes in the movie is when he goes to the handicapped girl while performing “I’ll Be There” showing Michael's big heart even in his little body. Colman Domingo obviously gives a very hauntingly disturbing, hilarious, and realistic performance as Joe Jackson that lifts the movie up. Nia Long has the most underrated performance in the movie, she doesn’t have a ton of lines but you can feel her strong presence in every scene she’s in. I wish they gave the Jackson brothers more screen time and more distinct personalities because they did a great job when given the chance. Like I said, there’s a lot of missed opportunities with the movie but with the type of biopic this is, it’s no doubt one of the best of its genre. Carried with an Oscar worthy performance from Jaafar Jackson. 9/10.
