By Jeanni Ritchie
There’s a certain kind of pressure that comes with telling the story of someone the whole world already knows.
Not just knows—but feels.
Michael steps into that space carefully, aware that it’s not just recounting a life, but honoring a legacy that has soundtracked generations. And while biopics can sometimes feel like a checklist of greatest hits, this one leans into something deeper: the man behind the music.
From the opening scenes, there’s an intentional pull between performance and person. The music is there—of course it is—and it’s as electric as you’d expect. But what surprised me most wasn’t the spectacle. It was the stillness in between.
The quiet moments.
The questions.
The tension of living a life that was never fully your own.
It’s easy to remember Michael Jackson as the performer—the moonwalk, the voice, the larger-than-life presence that could command a stadium with a single step. But Michael invites us to look a little closer. To consider the cost of that kind of fame, and the humanity that can get lost in the spotlight.
That’s where the film finds its footing.
It doesn’t rush past the complicated parts, but it doesn’t linger there for shock value either. Instead, it allows space for reflection—for the audience to wrestle with the same contradictions that have always surrounded him. Talent and pressure. Brilliance and burden. Applause and isolation.
And through it all, the music threads everything together.
Not just as entertainment, but as expression.
As escape.
As identity.
There were moments I found myself less focused on what was happening on screen and more on what I was feeling—memories tied to songs, sorrow knowing the tragic end ahead. The film is not just telling his story—it’s also reminding you of your own.
Some critics have been unsupportive—including members of Michael’s own family, like sister Janet and daughter Paris. Others, like his brothers and son Prince, are listed as executive producers. Perhaps it’s a sanitized version of Michael’s life, as some critics claim. LaToya was the only sister in the film—prompting my daughter Kaden to ask, “Where’s Janet?” (We later discovered she declined to be portrayed.)
Michael’s nephew Jaafar—son of Jermaine—portrayed Michael after a 2-year global search for the titular role. Having no previous acting experience, Jaafar trained for another two years to prepare for the part. The musical numbers are a blend of Jaafar and Michael’s vocals.
The first of this two-parter ends with Bad, Michael’s first solo tour after breaking free from his father. From the heart wrenching scenes with his abusive dad, to his visits to children’s hospitals to cheer up sick kids, audiences saw not just who Michael Jackson was to the world—but who he was when the music stopped.
Michael 2 is slated for a 2028 release.
