Michael

While it outlines his relationship with his abusive father, Michael is primarily a sanitized summary of well-known events. This sidesteps examining Michael as a person. It alludes to his loneliness, lost innocence, body image, and dysfunctional family (culminating in an arc), but these layers aren't unpacked. He's depicted with such hero worship that he has no flaws. Characters and conflicts are oversimplified. There's no resolution; it just stops. Despite this sterile material, Domingo provides controlled menace and Jaafar Jackson's dancing cannot be denied (even though he feels like an imitation). Altogether, Michael is more about public relations than storytelling.

Technically, Michael is flawed. Rather than substantive drama, its direction focuses on glossy recreations. The cinematography never evokes subtext. A feature-length montage, its editing lacks the emotional connectivity to create momentum or even structure. Scale, split cuts, and brief subjectivity are conveyed through the soundscape. Its jukebox soundtrack is a missed opportunity because it often feels thematically arbitrary. Likewise, the production design's iconography seems more superficial than humanizing. The cast hits a home run with Domingo, plays it safe with Jaafar, and underwhelms everywhere else. Besides its prime recognizability, Michael is just another biopic.

Writing: 3/10

Direction: 4/10

Cinematography: 6/10

Acting: 8/10

Editing: 3/10

Sound: 7/10

Score/Soundtrack: 8/10

Production Design: 8/10

Casting: 7/10

Effects: 7/10

Overall Score: 6.1/10

Instagram Page

YouTube Channel