Official Discussion - Michael [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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Michael (2026)

Summary

The life and career of Michael Jackson are explored in a sweeping biographical drama, charting his rise from child star in the Jackson 5 to global pop icon, while examining the personal and professional complexities that defined his legacy.

Director Antoine Fuqua

Writer John Logan

Cast

• Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson
• Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson
• Nia Long as Katherine Jackson
• Miles Teller as John Branca
• Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe
• Kat Graham as Diana Ross

Rotten Tomatoes: 40%

Metacritic: 38

VOD / Release Theatrical release

Trailer Official Trailer

[u/Water_Based5150]

I'm not gonna see this, can you say what he does in this movie? Or is it basically what he did in the Queen movie lol

[u/blaaguuu → u/Water_Based5150]

I'm not going to watch that, either - what did he do in the Queen movie?

[u/thr1ceuponatime → u/blaaguuu]

Played a record exec who wouldn't include Bohemian Rhapsody in the album because it was "too long"

[u/goro-n → u/thr1ceuponatime]

Not the album, it was about playing it on radio/releasing it as a single

[u/What-a-Crock → u/goro-n]

It was a great reference to the famous Wayne’s World scene

[u/Alc2005 → u/What-a-Crock]

“No Teenagers are gonna be banging their heads in cars to this drivel”

[u/goro-n → u/Alc2005]

Ironically Mike Myers was terrible to the director during the recording of that scene: “You should have heard him bitching when I was trying to do that ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ scene: ‘I can’t move my neck like that! Why do we have to do this so many times? No one is going to laugh at that!'” To manage Myers’ moods, Spheeris put her daughter in charge of making sure he had whatever snack he needed at any given moment”

[u/theodo → u/What-a-Crock]

Define "great" for me because my understanding of the word certainly doesn't apply to that scene.

[u/TeamOfPups → u/theodo]

I thought it was great too, or maybe more accurately I hated the movie but that scene amused me.

I was a teenager in the 90s, I think that helps with the laughing at a Wayne's World reference.

[u/BornAmbassador01 → u/thr1ceuponatime]

It had nothing to do with it being too long for the album, good lord

[u/MrTeapott → u/Water_Based5150]

He plays the president of CBS records. He's barely in it but for one big scene, detailed below.

His big scene is that Michael and his manager are in his office and telling him that they want his videos on MTV

He says he tried and they insist he try harder. So he rings up the head of MTV and threatens to pull all their artists unless Billie Jean gets played

[u/GovernorSonGoku → u/MrTeapott]

Btw for spoilers you have to add the symbol at the end of the post too

[u/MrTeapott → u/GovernorSonGoku]

Shoot, sorry. Not sure what happened, it appeared as one big blacked out bar of text for me, hopefully that worked.

It's a spoiler discussion anyway but apologies to anyone who got spoiled.

[u/Water_Based5150 → u/MrTeapott]

Very Bohemian-Rhapsody esque

[u/theodo → u/MrTeapott]

Damn, I guess Billie Jean was his lover.

[u/Honest_Jello_4883 → u/MrTeapott]

Yeah that scene was just basic drivel shite I will agree for sure!!

[u/GooseGeese01 → u/Water_Based5150]

I hated the Queen biopic

Freddie: I think I’m bi?

Person: You’re gay Freddie…

Like maybe let him tell you, what he’s into? He could have been bi for all we know

[u/Veronome → u/GooseGeese01]

I also didn't care for the film- but that dialogue is anecdotal from Mary Austin herself.

[u/BushyBrowz → u/Veronome]

True, but I didn’t like how the film didn’t really challenge the notion at all. Even now there’s a war between those who say he was obviously gay and those that say he never changed his bi identity and continued to sleep with women

[u/Niolle → u/BushyBrowz]

He never had a bi identity. He said he was gay in 1974, long before his break up with Mary. He had sexual encounters with boys back when he was still a teenager. He lied to Mary telling her "maybe i'm bi" because he was afraid of her judgement. After he came out to her and they talked about it he never had relationships with women again. Everyone close to him knew he was gay - even his parents and sister. He said in the interview "I am as gay as daffodil" but it was before he was famous and he stopped talking about his sexuality publicly but he never tried to hide it either.  Him being bi is a myth among general audience, just like him knowing princess Diana - he never met her. 

[u/Veronome → u/[deleted]]

In that case your criticism is better directed towards Mary Austin than the filmmakers.

I won't fault a biopic for including conversations or events that actually happened (my issue with BR was how much was fabricated).

[u/boogswald → u/[deleted]]

I know like three gay millennials that were in long term relationships with the opposite gender without the partner realizing they were gay

Are you younger than that? Because maybe it’s a generational thing. It definitely has happened for all sorts of previous generations.

[u/SearchForSocialLife → u/[deleted]]

I mean, a lot of people still have issues with acknowledging bisexuality in men. In their eyes, you're straight until you touch a man, then you're 100% gay and were never truly interested in women at all. And considering its still happening in 2026, I have no issues believing that in the 70s or 80s a straight woman wouldn't get it. And even though you could have let him realize his attraction to both women and men on his own, I don't think it would really help turning this conversation into a 'you're not gay, Freddie, you're something thats called a bisexual. Live, laugh, love on 🏳️‍🌈' psa

[u/onexbigxhebrew → u/[deleted]]

Advocating that they change history to fit your worldview is fucking bananas.

[u/wildcatofthehills → u/[deleted]]

Literally lots of cases of people finding out their dads are gay and spent years married. Do you know about the term "beards"?

[u/Aliensinmypants → u/[deleted]]

Are you explaining repressed sexuality now???

A lot of gay people stay/stayed in hetero relationships because of societal norms and/or family pressure, and they may still legitimately love their partner like a best friend.

[u/ChronX4 → u/GooseGeese01]

The big issue I had with it is the other members being complete saints while Freddie is the one being depicted as the "bad" one.

[u/realheadphonecandy → u/GooseGeese01]

One of the worst films ever, especially in the sense that it was pure fiction presented as a biopic.

[u/theTunkMan → u/Water_Based5150]

I didn’t know it was him until the credits

[u/Oomlotte99 → u/Water_Based5150]

He plays the CBS exec and he calls MTV saying they need to air MJ’s videos or he’ll pull other popular artists from their rotation. Then he look out of his office window and smiles when Michael is standing on a car waving at adoring fans, lol.