YNOT at the Movies

He moonwalked his way into history, and now he moonwalks his way onto the big screen, though this time, the moves are safer than ever.

"Michael" (USA 2026 | 127 min.) is a cinematic portrayal of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known, tracing his extraordinary journey from a young boy discovering his gift as the lead of the Jackson Five to his ascent as the biggest entertainer on the planet.

The film follows Michael (Jaafar Jackson) from his childhood under the iron grip of his domineering father Joe (Colman Domingo), through his breakout years with his brothers, and into his explosive solo career, highlighting both the iconic performances that defined an era and the personal cost of a life lived entirely in the spotlight.

But a spectacle is largely what remains. The film chronicles that rise while completely scrubbing away the sexual assault allegations that have shadowed Jackson's legacy for decades—not a whisper, not an acknowledgment, not even a fleeting shadow of doubt. That calculated omission transforms what could have been a genuinely complex portrait into a sanitized celebration that prioritizes tribute over truth.

This is a film made for the faithful, not the curious. And in that sense, it carries a quiet irony: it cannot escape the controlling hands behind it, suffering the same fate it depicts young Michael escaping from his father, never quite free enough to become the bold, searching work its subject deserved.

Jaafar Jackson is a remarkable physical presence and bears an almost uncanny resemblance to his uncle, but too often we seem to be watching a gifted impersonator rather than a fully inhabited human being.

Colman Domingo, a formidable talent, plays Joe as a controlling and greedy patriarch, yet the character stays frustratingly on the surface. We never truly understand what drove him beyond naked ambition, and the film offers little psychological depth to make him a villain worth grappling with. The rest of the supporting cast is given even less to work with, drifting in and out without leaving much of an impression.

When the music plays and the choreography ignites, the film earns its keep. The recreations of iconic performances carry genuine electricity, and hearing some of the greatest hits in a theater is its own reward. But when the curtain falls, we realize we have learned very little about the man himself.

This film is not a biopic so much as a nostalgic rerun, a greatest hits package dressed up in cinematic form. For fans wanting to relive the magic, it delivers. For anyone hoping to understand what lay beneath it, it keeps that door firmly shut.

"Michael" opens in theaters on Friday, April 24, 2026.