Michael

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Michael

PG-13

Apr 2026

2h 7m

Biography

Drama

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

38%

Tomatometer

307 Reviews

97%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Verified Ratings

MICHAEL is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson's life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.

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Critics Consensus

While Jaafar Jackson's smooth moves bring the King of Pop to uncanny life, this musical biopic mostly plays like a "greatest hits" album that could've benefitted from including liner notes to give actual insight into the icon.

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Audience Says

Boosted by stellar performances, most notably Jaafar Jackson’s breakout turn, Michael tops the charts and has fans moonwalking across the globe.

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Sergio Burstein

Los Angeles Times

Jun 3

Michael is a work with high production values whose ability to entertain makes it susceptible to being watched several times, even though its superficiality extends to other areas. [Full review in Spanish]

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Dwight Brown

DwightBrownInk.com

Jun 2

2.5/4

You feel his presence, joy and music. Does the footage push biofilm genre boundaries? No.

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Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (LAist)

May 6

A hokey, corny, safe, clichéd, sanitized look at Michael Jackson.

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André Didyme-Dôme

Rolling Stone en Español

10h

It's a biopic that transforms its protagonist into a veritable entertainment monster while avoiding confronting him. [Full review in Spanish]

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Niall Browne

Movies in Focus

2d

3.5/5

It’s a flawed film, but Michael manages to win you over with its energy and sheer power of its music – and it simply won’t stop ‘til you’ve had enough.

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Jordan Ruimy

World of Reel

6d

C+

It’s not a great film—far from it—and it hits speed bumps whenever the jukebox isn’t turned on full blast, but the nasty reviews it’s received don’t at all suggest a C+ film

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Robin

2d

Where was P.Y.T. Shame 🤨🤨🤨

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Allisha

5d

I just wish there was more story

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Karl

6d

Loved this! The music, the acting, the dancing were phenomenal. I forgot that Jafar wasn’t Michael!

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bailey

6d

best movie i've ever seen

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Ali M

Aug 11

Good movie and had some great music and dance scenes in it (obviously). As a fan of Michael Jackson in the 80s I enjoyed watching it. But it leaves out a very important part of who Michael was, and paints the picture much rosier than what it really was. I think a more honest portrayal of Michael would have made the movie a lot better. Acting is great.

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Sandor

Aug 11

Absolutely fantastic. Best movie ever seen from A Biography of an artist Like Michael Jackson.

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Antoine Fuqua

Director

Jaafar Jackson

Michael Jackson

Miles Teller

John Branca

Colman Domingo

Joe Jackson

Nia Long

Katherine Jackson

Jayden Harville

Young Jermaine Jackson

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Synopsis

MICHAEL is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson's life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Producer: Graham King, John Branca, John McClain
Screenwriter: John Logan
Distributor: Lionsgate
Production Co: GK Films
Rating: PG-13 (Smoking|Language|Some Thematic Material)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 24, 2026, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 9, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $184.2M
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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