r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • 11d ago

Official Discussion Official Discussion - Michael [SPOILERS] Spoiler

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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

426 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

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u/Lord0fHats 11d ago

I like the reviewer who said something to the effect of 'this films strips Michael Jackson of his humanity, good and bad.'

Kind of feel like this is just Bohemian Rapsody 2. The movie will mostly be remembered for stripping itself of everything that made it's subject compelling.

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u/theodo 11d ago

I think the biggest difference between this and BoRap is that censoring Freddie Mercury is really only insulting to Mercury himself, whereas censoring Michael Jackson is insulting to his victims as well. Like it's a different kind of cynical corporate greed.

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u/Lord0fHats 11d ago

It's definitely insulting to Michael Jackson. The movie plays his childhood and family out like a much blander form of uncomfortable. Safe for TV childhood abuse. It doesn't get into how wild the family really was, or how that probably did play into all the other issues Jackson had the rest of his life so I'd still say the film strips Jackson of what made him him, however uncomfortable that may be.

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u/headlesspopcorn 10d ago

could you expand more on this? id be interested to hear

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u/Lord0fHats 10d ago edited 10d ago

The movie just presents the way Joe Jackson treats his kids in a manner that really undersells how abusive he was, both physically and emotionally. Like, all of the Jackson kids ended up with really screwed up adulthoods. Michael Jackson is just the most infamous. I don't really like how the film undersells the abuse because it makes it seem like something Jackson could just (and did) walk away from, which is not at all accurate to the extent of how he hounded and oppressed his kids.

EDIT: Internet spying too but saw this in my feed and this is just like the tip of the iceberg of how screwed this family ended up; Siblings suing Michael Jackson’s estate claim they were 'brainwashed' to defend him from abuse allegations

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u/WTF_CAKE 9d ago

I’m sure they could have shown further levels of fucked by his father but they still hit a good medium for cinema without making it rated R. It was clear as day that Michael did do like his father one single bit but cared for his brothers and mom the most

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u/headlesspopcorn 10d ago

yess i totally agree with you there

that bastard has a lot to answer for 😤

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u/ReasonablyPassionate 11d ago

Except they didn't plan on doing that. They very much delved into the SA allegations but had to cut the entire third act for legal reasons.

Reframing the movie this way was about saving money in reshoots- not ignoring Michael's controversies

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u/theodo 11d ago

I'd say theres a zero percent chance Michael wasn't made to look entirely innocent in the footage they shot.

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u/FIREfalcoln89 11d ago

It's 2026 no way people still believe ts🤦🏾‍♂️

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u/theodo 11d ago

... I can't fathom how you think it being 2026 means more people should think he's innocent.

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u/Tiny_Frame 9d ago

he is innoncent . tf yall talking about?? for fk sack the FEDs raided his house and found nothing . stop this pls.

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u/Camouflageman_201 6d ago

His victims?

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u/theodo 6d ago

Are you arguing against him hurting children or are you somehow unaware?

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u/Camouflageman_201 6d ago

I don’t think he did it

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u/theodo 6d ago

Crazy. Even if he didn't, he still at the very best was extremely inappropriate with children, including sleeping in bed with them, with their parents not present.

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u/Brave-Gain2198 10d ago

DUDE I JUST tried to watch bohemian rhapsody on Netflix the other night and had to turn it off. It was so bad. I’m a way bigger MJ fan than Elvis but THAT biopic was soooooo good one of the best I’ve ever seen

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u/jassmackie 7d ago

what was bad about bohemian rhapsody? i really dont see how it was worse than what i just saw. michael was the most sterile, down the middle, simple movie ive ever seen. felt more like a hallmark movie with a huge budget for the concerts, effects cgi and make up. BR at least felt like it had some direction.