#Theatre #IMAX

Language – English

Year of release – 2026

Cast – Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson, Juliano Krue Valdi as young Michael, Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson, Michael’s father; Nia Long as Katherine Scruse-Jackson, Michael’s mother; Miles Teller as John Branca, Jackson’s attorney; KeiLyn Durrel Jones as Bill Bray, Michael’s bodyguard; Jssica Sula as La Toya Jackson, Michael’s older siste; Jamal R. Henderson as Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s older brother; Jayden Harville as young Jermaine; Tre Horton as Marlon Jackson, Michael’s older brother; Jaylen Lyndon Hunter as young Marlon; Rhyan Hill as Tito Jackson, Michael’s older brother; Joseph David-Jones as Jackie Jackson, Michael’s older brother; Nathaniel Logan McIntyre as young Jackie; Mike Myers as Walter Yetnikoff, president of CBS Records; Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones, co-producer of Michael’s three successful solo albums; Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy, music producer and president of Motown; Liv Symone as Gladys Knight; Deon Cole as Don King, a boxing promoter

Trigger warning – Child abuse, trauma, dysfunctional parenting

Plot – The movie opens with Joseph Jackson, a mill worker, training his 5 sons to learn to perform, with the youngest son, Michael, as the lead vocalist. It is 1969 and the boys are just about learning the art of performing for a crowd and Joseph tries his all to get them gigs to perform in. As the years roll on, you see the Jackson 5 making it big and moving into a comfortable affluent home. Michael too grows into the singing sensation that he becomes eventually!

The movie takes us down memory lane and brings to life many of the hits of the Jackson 5 as well as Michaels. It follows Michael Jackson’s discography and the making of the legend that we know as The King Of Pop! His childhood was taken away from him by his abusive and highly ambitious father. The reality was no one could speak up against their father and everyone in the Jackson household just tolerated the abuse and let things be.

As the movie progresses, you learn of all the events that lead to each one of the chart busting songs and albums! Michael Jackson was pop musics only icon who wrote, sang, danced and gave the audiences a performance that no one could ever match! And this movie does complete justice to him.

Initially, I was sceptical of what to expect, especially when there is so much written about the movie and the casting and the promos. And most of all, Michael Jackson being the legend he was, I wasn’t sure if any maker could encapsulate the man, his music and his messed up life in a meaningful manner! To this, I will give complete credit to the director, Antoine Fuqua. It’s not an easy task to tell the story of a man who ruled the music world like Michael did! There was never one like him and there may never be one like him! And to show him for his vulnerabilities and his greatness and stay true to the story telling without taking sides is a humungous task that Antoine took on and delivered to perfection!

The other aspect that they completely nailed was the casting! It is not easy to fill Michaels shoes and Jaafar did not just fill it, he claimed it! Yes, there are places where you can see Jaafar but for most part you are seeing Michael Jackson and that’s all that is to see! The dancing, the singing, the voice modulations and every little detail of his persona is captured and played back so beautifully for us! But nothing comes close to the young Michael Jackson played by Juliano! That boy is a powerhouse of talent and he brought the small boy Michael, his fears, his vulnerabilities, his love for music, his passion for the art, his innocence, his pain and his trust for all of us to experience what it was like as a child in the Jackson household.

Coleman Domingo is chillingly accurate in his role as Joseph Jackson and I was absolutely stunned by the fact that Nia Long was so close to Michael Jackson’s mother! And Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones cut it for me! The casting has been flawless and each of the actors also played their parts to the T!

For every 90’s child, this movie opened the floodgates of nostalgia! MTV, CBS Records, Motown, Thriller, Bad, the Pepsi promo, the chimpanzee Bubbles, Bill Brady his bodyguard, the wacky and absolutely out of this world costumes, the insane stage settings, the music, the man and his passion! Go watch it for all that’s true of the 90’s music world that changed an entire generation and continues to trend among the newer generations!