Michael

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1:00

Michael

PG-13

Apr 2026

2h 7m

Biography

Drama

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

38%

Tomatometer

295 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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Tim Miller

Cape Cod Wave Magazine

3d

2.5/4

The film beats us over the head with Michael’s desire to go solo ("I wanna be who I wanna be," "I just want to do my own thing") and references to his Peter Pan complex, but the music (Human Nature’) and stage sequences remind us of his brilliance.

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John Serba

Decider

Jun 11

It’s bad, it’s bad, you know it.

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Graeme Tuckett

The Post NZ

Jun 10

2/5

Fuqua chooses to end the film on an odd shot of Michael holding his hand up to mostly obscure his face. It seems appropriate, for a film which is sporadically impressive, but also dishonest and incomplete.

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Judita kustar

39m

Michael movie was sad but beautiful

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Jedediah P

6h

great music and cast. I was disappointed it wasn't longer as MJ has so much story to tell.

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Mary L

7h

I loved everything. This is just pure Michael nostalgia. Jaafer Jackson was incredible.

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Mombie

9h

Insight into his life and to see his genius. Understanding how the Pepsi incident affected him permanently, and the pigmentation skin issues he had to deal with.

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Amanda O

10h

Would see five more times!

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Beverly

13h

I loved all of the movie!

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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

Michael: Music Clip - Billie Jean

0:59

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Michael: Exclusive Featurette - Music and Motion

1:00

See 'Michael' on the Big Screen!

0:26

Michael: Featurette - Before the Big Screen

1:47

Michael: Final Trailer

1:00

The Michael Cast Reveal Their Favorite Scenes

1:22

Colman Domingo on Playing Joe Jackson

1:06

Michael: Featurette – A Conversation with Jaafar Jackson

1:50

Jaafar on Getting the Role of Michael Jackson

1:09

Recreating the Thriller Music Video

1:02

Michael: Teaser - Early Access Event

1:15

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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)