The latest biographical film centred on Michael Jackson has delivered a striking contrast between commercial performance and critical reception, drawing strong box office interest while being heavily criticised by reviewers.
Despite solid early ticket sales, the film has been labelled one of the most poorly received music biopics in recent years. On the review aggregation platform Rotten Tomatoes, it initially opened with a modest 27% approval rating, which has since inched up to around 34%. This places it far below several comparable recent films in the genre.
Comparative Critical Reception
| Film Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Score |
| Oppenheimer |
93% |
| Better Man |
89% |
| Priscilla |
84% |
| A Complete Unknown |
82% |
| The Apprentice |
82% |
| Ferrari |
73% |
| Back to Black |
35% |
| Michael (biopic) |
34% |
| I Wanna Dance with Somebody |
43% |
| Reagan |
18% |
As the table illustrates, the Jackson biopic lags significantly behind most of its contemporaries, including other music-focused narratives such as Back to Black and I Wanna Dance with Somebody, which themselves received mixed responses. Only Reagan performs worse in this group, with a notably low 18% rating.
Industry analysts, however, suggest that critical reception has not significantly dampened audience interest. Reports indicate that the film could generate approximately $150 million globally during its opening period. In the United States alone, it is projected to earn $65 million or more, potentially setting a new benchmark for opening weekends in the musical biopic category.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film charts Michael Jackson’s life from the age of five through the early stages of his solo career. The lead role is portrayed by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, a casting choice that initially attracted considerable attention from fans and media alike.
Nevertheless, the film has been met with widespread criticism for its narrative omissions. Reviewers have particularly taken issue with the apparent exclusion of the more controversial aspects of Jackson’s life, including allegations of child abuse. The BBC described the film as “dull and overly conventional,” while the Daily Mail characterised it as “remarkably superficial and evasive on key issues.”
Further controversy has surrounded the production itself. According to Variety, earlier versions of the screenplay reportedly included scenes depicting investigators arriving at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch and exploring subsequent legal scrutiny. These sequences were ultimately removed following contractual stipulations, requiring the production to reshoot the ending and delaying the release by nearly a year.
The film has also struggled to gain approval from members of Jackson’s own family. His sister, Janet Jackson, declined involvement, while his daughter, Paris Jackson, publicly criticised the project, describing it as “dishonest” and emotionally misleading. She argued that such portrayals often blur the line between reality and Hollywood interpretation, presenting distorted versions of real events under the guise of authenticity.
As a result, the biopic has become a focal point in ongoing debates about artistic licence versus factual responsibility in depicting the lives of iconic yet controversial public figures.
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