The film begins in 1966, when Michael Jackson was still a child in Gary, Indiana. His father Joe Jackson (played by Colman Domingo) forms a music band with his five sons. The band becomes to be known as the Jackson 5. Joe, adamant about making the band successful, was strict to the extreme. He went as far as even beating son Michael if he ever tried to defy his father’s instructions.
This is the film Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua. It is one the highest grossing films of 2026. As the name suggests, it is the biopic of the iconic star Michael Jackson.
Even watching the film, anyone would notice the uncanny resemblance between the actor who plays the character of Michael and Michael Jackson himself. The actor’s surname, revealingly, was Jackson. He was Michael’s real life nephew Jaafar Jackson, Jermaine Jackson’s son.
Jaafar Jackson has done a terrific job in this film, superbly delivering his performance. It was not just any typical role; he had to shoot all the performances, concerts and everything else for which he needed to learn all the intricate dance steps.
He delivered this with utter confidence and perfection. For a moment it felt like the King of Pop was once again among us. It must have been quite personal and emotional for him to depict the character of his late uncle. Yet he pulled it off with flying colours. His voice is strikingly similar to Michael Jackson''s and he was well able to portray how soft spoken Michael was.
Jackson 5
The band Jackson 5 eventually managed to attract the attention of Suzanne de Passe, who helped them get signed up by Motown. But as time passed, by the 1970s, Michael had begun to establish his solo career.
In 1978, he worked with Quincy Jones on Off the Wall. The album was a massive success, but Michael still felt that his career was being constrained by his family obligations and Joe's influence.
Things were not smooth and he later hired attorney John Branca to end all professional ties with Joe. This simply exemplifies the strained relationship he had with his father. Michael stressed that he wanted to focus on his solo career and that he had the right to make his own decisions because he was no longer a kid.
This film was inspiring because it shows the unseen struggles of being a kid who grew up under the spotlight and was subjected to public scrutiny for everything he did. Much recommended.
Then came the 1984 Pepsi commercial tragedy, where pyrotechnics accidentally ignited Michael’s hair. This was portrayed so realistically in the movie. The accident left him with severe scalp injuries and marked the beginning of his relationship with painkillers and other drugs.
The film reaches a soul-stirring culmination during the final Victory Tour concert at Dodger Stadium.
At the end of the performance with his brothers, Michael announces that it will be the last time the Jacksons perform together. This infuriates Joe, who insists on the continuation of Jackson 5.
The movie concludes with his performance at Wembley Stadium during the Bad era in 1988.
The cinematography deserves a round of applause. The on-stage performances look so very real. And of course the iconic moonwalk. Jaafar delivered this impeccably. This movie sent us back to listening to all the old favourite MJ songs again like Heal the World, Billie Jean, You are not alone and more.
However, I feel the biopic missed out on some of the major events in his life and ended pretty abruptly. Perhaps the movie should have addressed the later allegations of child molestation that he faced and other controversies regarding the change in his skin complexion and more. The movie was more like the first chapter of his life rather than his whole life. It is about how he rose to fame.
Fans felt that it could have also shown glimpses of his love life. It could also focus on the fact that Michael always stated that his childhood was taken away from him. It could have given a more emphatic depiction of his battle with serious mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia.
Despite these few apparent gaps, this film was inspiring because it shows the unseen struggles of being a kid who grew up under the spotlight and was subjected to public scrutiny for everything he did. Much recommended.
* Fabliha Fariha is a student of International Hope School