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Michael Critics Review: Is Michael Jackson Biopic Worth Watching? Early Reactions Explode Online
Michael (2026) Critics Review: The spotlight is back on the King of Pop as Michael, the much-anticipated biopic on Michael Jackson, gears up to hit theatres. Stepping into the legendary role is Jaafar Jackson, the nephew of pop icon MJ. The film promises to bring the iconic singer-dancer's journey to the big screen in a grand, cinematic way.
Even before its official release, Michael has become one of the most talked-about films online. Early reactions from critics have started pouring in, with first reviews and social media chatter fueling intense buzz.
Michael Review Rotten Tomatoes
With direction by Antoine Fuqua, Michael Jackson biopic - Michael - carries high expectations, combining a powerful narrative with visually rich musical sequences.
The buzz around Michael is only getting louder-but not entirely for the reasons fans may have hoped. As early reviews roll in, the film's score on Rotten Tomatoes has sparked plenty of conversation online.
The biopic opened with a modest 27% rating on the platform and has inched up to 36% as of April 22 (12:30 PM), based on 98 critic reviews. The anticipation around Michael remains high as Michael prepares for its global theatrical release this Friday, April 24.
Michael Review Critics: Is Michael Jackson Biopic Worth Watching?
Following its recent world premiere in Los Angeles, Michael has begun drawing strong reactions from critics, with early reviews painting a mixed picture of the much-hyped biopic.
The Hollywood Reporter's chief film critic David Rooney praised the lead performance, writing, "Jaafar nails the sweet, soft-spoken voice with which Michael projected a childlike innocence and vulnerability, but also the single-minded focus with which he pushed his career forward. We see his natural affinity for children in fan interactions or hospital visits to pediatric cancer wards."
Meanwhile, USA Today critic Melissa Ruggieri highlighted the film's emotional undertones but pointed out its visual shortcomings. In her words, the film "makes clear that Jackson's arrested development began in childhood, when he reads Peter Pan by flashlight under the covers in the family's home in Gary, Indiana. Later, he populates the family compound in Encino, California, with animals he views as friends, not pets. Too bad the blatant CGI versions of a llama, giraffe, python and yes, Bubbles the chimp are so cringeworthy that you forget to have empathy for Jackson, the lonely man-boy."
A part of The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw's review read, "This is a frustratingly shallow, inert picture, a kind of cruise-ship entertainment, which can't quite bring itself to show that Michael was an abuse victim, brutalised by his father and robbed of his childhood."
Meanwhile, taking to Twitter (now 'X'), one of the users wrote, "MICHAEL hits every biopic cliche without ever digging deeper into the man, or pulling back the curtain. Jackson is treated as a messiah, which makes for a pretty dull story.
No doubt, the music is as stunning as ever, but the film doesn't live up to it."
With just two days left until its release, the buzz around Michael is only growing louder despite the mixed reactions.
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