The roar of a stadium crowd swells as a man in a red leather jacket steps into the spotlight, a single sequined glove catching the light. “Michael!” the audience chants. In an instant, the film rewinds to 1964, introducing him as a 5-year-old boy at the start of a journey that would redefine pop music.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, “Michael” traces Michael Jackson’s rise from his early days with the Jackson 5 to the global success of his solo career, including albums like “Bad”.

At the center of the story is Jackson’s complicated and often painful relationship with his father, Joe Jackson, played with intensity by Colman Domingo. The film establishes this dynamic early, showing a young Michael, portrayed by Juliano Valdi, avoiding eye contact during rehearsals, a subtle but telling detail that underscores the fear shaping his childhood.

Valdi sets the scene with his amazing performance as young Michael in the days of the Jackson 5, balancing his disdain for his father with his love for music, appearing tense during rehearsals, yet entranced when performing.

Domingo, meanwhile, embodies Joe Jackson as both commanding and deeply unsettling, capturing the rigid control that defined the family’s rise.

As the narrative moves into the late 1960s and beyond, the signing of the Jackson 5 to Motown marks a turning point. Michael’s talent comes into sharper focus, even as the psychological toll of his upbringing becomes more apparent. The film depicts him retreating into childlike comforts such as stories, animals and imagination as a way to cope.

Casting Jaafar Jackson, Jackson’s real-life nephew, in the lead role of Michael, caused controversy around the Jackson family’s intentions with this biopic. 

The film, co-produced by John Branca and John McClain — co-executors of the Jackson estate — has faced criticism over its perspective and omissions. The film lays the foundation for Michael’s controversy with the Neverland Ranch, where he was acquited of charges of sexual abuse, through the depictions of the comfort he found in the children’s story “Peter Pan.” However, the film concludes before Michael has any affiliation with Neverland Ranch, focusing on his rise to stardom. 

In a film centered on the abuse Michael endured throughout his upbringing, the absence of the Neverland controversy feels unexpectedly refreshing rather than evasive. The narrative instead highlights his early refusal to rely on drugs, even while recovering from severe injuries sustained during the Pepsi-commercial accident, when his hair caught fire. In light of Michael Jackson’s death from acute propofol intoxication, this detail adds a more human layer to his story and draws a subtle contrast with how his life later unfolded. 

Reports suggest that a sequel to “Michael” is being strongly considered, which could explore the more controversial later years of his life. Similar to the two-part structure of “Wicked” and its follow-up, the film sets up the possibility of telling a longer story that follows a shift from innocence into something more complicated.

Noticeably, Janet Jackson, who was known to have the closest relationship with Michael, was missing from the film. Some members of the Jackson family, including Janet Jackson, reportedly distanced themselves from the project, though she has praised Jaafar Jackson’s performance.

Janet’s absence was incredibly noticeable as a viewer, especially since La Toya Jackson was highly featured throughout the story, adding to the dynamics in the difference of how the Jackson sons were treated in comparison to the daughters. 

Jaafar Jackson perfectly portrays the conflict Michael has with his father, Joe Jackson, while also channeling Michael as a person with his voice, appearance and dancing. 

Jaafar reportedly practiced for this role in the Jackson family home Hayvenhurst, in the room where Michael would previously practice, to truly channel his uncle.

The film devotes significant time to the creation of Jackson’s landmark albums, including “Off the Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad,” offering glimpses into his creative process and inspirations, from horror films to the realities of life in Los Angeles. These sequences are among the film’s most engaging, blending music, movement and storytelling.

The production of “Beat It” on “Thriller” was especially impactful, reflecting Michael Jackson’s response to the gang violence he witnessed in Los Angeles, particularly between the Bloods and Crips. To reinforce the song’s message, he even hired real members of rival gangs to appear as dancers in the music video, underscoring the idea that music can serve as a powerful force for unity across deep divisions.

“Michael” does an incredible job at portraying the story of Michael Jackson and capturing his essence, without feeding into the negativity surrounding the popstar. The film succeeds in capturing the scale of the singer’s influence and the emotional weight of his journey. Anchored by strong performances and electrifying musical sequences, “Michael” offers an immersive and carefully curated portrait of one of pop music’s most enduring figures.

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