Jaafar Jackson shines — even when ‘Michael’ doesn’t

Michael Jackson wasn’t just an icon. He was a cultural phenomenon in human form — a once-in-a-civilization force whose influence still shapes music, dance, fashion, and the very idea of superstardom nearly 20 years after his death. So when a major studio finally set out to bring a portion of his story to the big screen, expectations were sky high. And with Antoine Fuqua directing and Michael’s own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, stepping into the role, fans hoped for a film that matched the magnitude of the man.

What they got instead was a performance for the ages trapped inside a movie that never rises to meet it.

“Michael,” which opens nationwide Friday, attempts to trace Jackson’s journey from Gary, Indiana, prodigy to the dawn of his “Bad” era. But while Jaafar Jackson delivers an uncanny and emotionally tuned performance, the film around him feels thin. “Michael” is a hollowed-out retelling that plays more like a greatest-hits montage than a fully realized biographical drama.

The issue starts with the script. John Logan’s writing skims across the surface of Jackson’s life. The Jackson 5’s rise, the family’s move to Los Angeles, the pressures of fame, and the early seeds of Michael’s creative independence are all there, but rarely explored with the depth or nuance that could have elevated the film beyond fan service.

And yet, Jaafar Jackson refuses to let the story’s limitations shrink his performance. In his first feature film, he is nothing short of astonishing. He doesn’t just resemble Michael — though the resemblance is striking. He channels him. He moves with the same fluid precision. He sings with the same breathy urgency. He captures the softness in Michael’s speaking voice, the tilt of his head, and the way he seemed to shrink and expand at the same time depending on who was watching.

What makes Jaafar’s performance remarkable is the emotional truth he brings to it. He finds the humanity beyond the spotlight. He reveals the loneliness, the sensitivity, and the relentless drive to turn the visions in Michael’s head into something the world could see. In the quiet moments, Jaafar gives glimpses of the man behind the myth — the one fans rarely witnessed because Michael’s rise to superstardom came long before social media or reality TV made vulnerability part of celebrity branding.

It’s the kind of performance that could have anchored a transformative biopic. But “Michael” never gives him the space.

Instead, the film feels like a sanitized, made-for-the-big-screen version of “The Jacksons: An American Dream” — without the emotional depth that made that miniseries beloved for generations. Even if the filmmakers were determined to avoid controversy, there was room to explore the complexities of Michael’s world. The pressures of fame, the fractures within the family, and the creative battles that shaped his artistry would have made for a stronger connection. But the film rarely digs deeper than the surface.

There are bright spots. Juliano Krue Valdi, who plays young Michael, nails the choreography, the head nods, and the spark that made a child from Gary impossible to ignore. Colman Domingo brings an intensity to Joseph Jackson that adds dimension beyond the widely accepted notion that he beat his children into superstardom. While heavy-handed, Domingo’s Joseph is a man who refuses to accept less than perfection from his sons because he sees a life for them beyond the steel mill that barely allowed him to provide for his family. Nia Long leans into the warmth and quiet strength of Katherine Jackson, as often expressed by her famous children. Larenz Tate (Berry Gordy), KeiLyn Durrel Jones (Bill Bray), Miles Teller (John Branca), and Kendrick Sampson (Quincy Jones) make the most of their limited screen time.

But the rest of the Jackson family is treated like background scenery. In a story about one of the most famous musical families in history, the siblings are barely present. Even the animals get more screen time than some of the brothers. And his most famous sibling is missing from the film altogether. A deeper exploration of the tensions surrounding the group’s split from Motown — especially the rift involving Jermaine — could have added layers the film needed.

Still, the power of Michael Jackson’s legacy — even filtered through a flawed film — is undeniable. And Jaafar Jackson’s performance is so extraordinary that it almost redeems the movie’s shortcomings. For fans, “Michael” will offer a nostalgic, emotionally charged glimpse into the early chapters of a life that changed music forever. But it won’t give them the full story they deserve.

“Michael” opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 24. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 135 minutes.

Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.

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